BLOG # 7
April 30, 2019
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How quickly time passes!
This is our last week in Ukraine and therefore this will be our final
blog.
Our experiences have included lows and highs.
Again we have become
reacquainted with friends from the past and made new friends.
The return of spring has resulted in much
natural beauty.
We are seeing new plants and hearing new bird songs. The locals
are also noticing some of these changes.
Climate change?
The lows have been in the stories of suffering that villagers
bring to the Mennonite Centre. Low
salaries, unemployment, poverty, illness and the war in eastern Ukraine cause
much hardship for many Ukrainians. One
example would be the story we heard from a farming couple. She had been diagnosed with colon
cancer. They had already paid for
surgery and 2 of the required 6 chemo treatments, but now their funds were
exhausted. Each course of chemo cost
10,300 Uah. ($515.00 Cdn.) They are
still too young to receive pensions.
Their adult children had helped where they could but all were earning
minimum wage.
The couple owns 12 hectares of land which they had seeded in
barley and wheat, but without adding fertilizer because they could not afford the
cost. Even if the harvest is successful,
grain prices are very low, because they are forced to sell to buyers who have
access to the markets. They have a garden, some pigs and chickens, so that will
keep them fed fortunately. The husband
has a bad knee and struggles to walk, so he is due for a knee replacement.
As Canadians we cannot imagine their dilemma because our
medical expenses would be covered. The
only way Mennonite Centre can respond to such needs is through your
donations. We thank you for your
generosity.
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Monday we were invited to an Easter Festival at the Tokmak
Greek Catholic Church.
There was music
inside the church by a small choir from the Molochansk Music School, and
outstanding violin
performances by Dasha Barenovskaya, graduate from Dniepro University.
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Outdoors there were displays of Ukrainian artwork, Easter
Egg painting, and offers of paska, eggs, and tea for snacks.
Dancers from the local music schools
performed in colorful costumes.
We
enjoyed the music of guitars, bandura, accordion, and more singing.
It was a wonderful community event for people
of all ages, enjoying fellowship in this lovely wooded area.
Many volunteers from the church had worked
hard to prepare the grounds and displays.
It was an Easter celebration by the church for the community.
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On Tuesday we met
with our Ukrainian Board, a legal requirement for doing charity work here in
Ukraine.
The members are leaders from
the community whom we trust for feedback for the types of projects we do.
The dialogue and exchange of ideas and
perspectives among them was most encouraging.
After lunch we were entertained by Sergei, Irina and Masha Lokotkov and
pianists Tanya & Oksana, all from the Tokmak Music School.
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