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Dear friend, Thank you for being part of our community and showing your support for people facing conflict and disaster in places like Ukraine and Syria. Over the last year, Mercy Corps and our local partners have reached more than 1 million people affected by the war in Ukraine with urgently needed supplies, cash assistance, trusted information on safe passage, job and legal assistance, and psychosocial care. In addition to meeting the urgent needs of people in Ukraine, we are addressing the ripple effects of the war beyond the country’s borders. In Northwest Syria, even before the devastating 7.8 magnitude that struck earlier this month, more than 4 million people were going hungry after over a decade of conflict, worsened by Ukraine’s grain shortage. Our teams have deep experience in the region, providing essential services like water, sanitation, and shelter for millions of displaced families. Across Ukraine’s border in Poland, we are dispensing cash assistance to refugees as well as providing psychosocial support, legal aid, and language courses. Third-country nationals (often young students and migrant laborers from Asia and Africa), people who are LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, and people of Roma origins (Romani people) have all experienced unique challenges and discrimination in attempting to find safe transportation and accommodations. That’s why Mercy Corps is partnering with organizations to ensure people from marginalized communities can get the support they need. Below are stories from our partners working with Ukrainian refugees who are Romani. "When you help others, you help yourself"
Olena Vaidalovich (center), a human rights activist and lawyer with a local organization which promotes multiculturalism and anti-discrimination, supports Ukrainian refugees from the Romani community.
Olena’s own experiences with discrimination inspired her to become a lawyer. "I’m a Romani woman myself. I know what it means," she says. "I want to bring some changes in the situation of Romani people and it’s very important to dedicate my work to my community and to raise awareness of their capacities." She hopes that the organization can be a place where people can seek support, but ultimately, a place of empowerment where people will feel strong and independent. A warm welcome after crossing the border Nadiia Hornak and her six children fled from Lviv in August after the sirens resumed in anticipation of bombing. Nadiia, who was pregnant with her sixth child at the time, no longer felt her kids would be safe. They arrived in Poland and connected with one of Mercy Corps’ partner organizations that provided them with immediate support: transportation, shelter, job seeking assistance, and psychosocial services.
Nadiia plays with her daughter Sonia at a Mercy Corps partner and community center that works with marginalized migrants in Poland.
As a Romani woman, Nadiia has experienced discrimination all her life. Even as she was crossing the border, a man yelled and swore at her. But she was happy to find a warm reception with Mercy Corps’ partner organization. She says "most people do not see or treat Roma fairly," so she is happy the organization is accepting and staffed by many people who are also Romani. Mercy Corps is doing all we can to help people in Ukraine, Syria, and beyond to rebuild their lives and livelihoods in the midst of crisis. As we approach the one-year mark of the Ukraine war, we ask you to consider becoming a monthly donor — a Mercy Corps Partner In Possibility. Help sustain our impact in 40+ countries worldwide.
Sincerely, The Mercy Corps team |
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