Friends of IBS for Ukranian families : Help unseen victims

Friends of IBS for
Ukranian Families

All families deserve a safe place to stay.

Since the war in Ukraine started 3.5 million refugees have been forced to flee their homes and seek safety in the western part of their country or abroad.

This effort of IBS Friends for Ukraine, in partnership with Keep a Child Alive foundation, has been set in motion to aid as many families as possible in the pursuit to find them a safe place to live.

All donations received so far have been carefully destined to worthy causes: we make sure the refugees are what they claim to be, we check the rental contracts or financing needs are real, we get in touch with landlords, real estate agents, relatives, providers.

We are the first supporters of our initiative, both hands on and financially, but we have so far deployed all funds collected: please help us provide more families with lifesaving necessities, both in and out of Ukraine.

$ 1000

Raised so far

$ 1000

Funds deployed so far

100% of your donation to KCA goes directly to helping these unseen victims of war.

Natalia

Natalia fled with her two children and her mother from resorting to the bomb shelter up to seven times a day and whose husband remained in Lviv to fight. They had been staying in Poland temporarily and flew to Italy where we provided accommodation in Como. Natalia is also our coordinator for help within the Ukraine, where many refugees from the eastern and central part of the country, who are unable to flee abroad, are gathering on the western borders.

Oksana

Oksana managed to escape Kiev and join relatives in Northern Italy with her mother, aunt and young daughter, the men again staying behind to fight; we are providing accommodation in Ivrea, Piedmont.

Svitlana

Svitlana fled Kiev with her daughter, sister and niece, and found a home with friends near Barcelona, Spain; we are providing monthly support for food and medical help.

Olena, Yuliia and Diana

The three of them have found refuge in a small village on the Italian Riviera with four young children, for whom we are providing computers for home schooling.

Natalia, Inna, Nadiia, Ksenia and Daria

Three generations of the same family whom we are helping out with payments of rent in Sanremo on the Italian Riviera.

Four young refugees in Varese, who are in no need of financial support but for whose integrity we are guaranteeing.

Ira, Ksenia and Marko

Ira and Xania fled Odessa with little Marco, 5, and are trying to build up a peaceful lifespan working in the fashion and beauty sector in Como/MIlan until they can return home.

Vladimir

We helped Vladimir, a civil engineer who escaped Kharkiv with his family, including a disabled daughter, find a job on a construction site in Como, as well as adequate housing.

Tetiana

Tetiana and her two teenage children found a safe haven in Como from the horrors they witnessed in Kiev, which heavily impacted them both physically and mentally

We came across many other life paths and stories and tried to lend a helping hand and comforting word where possible, always encountering grateful people, positive outlooks, resilient personalities, strong willpower, incredible adaptability and resourcefulness.

Thoughts from Ukraine.

What will war mean for us today? Fear, uncertainty, panic, pain, hatred, pride in being Ukrainian and for one’s country, great gratitude to the Armed Forces.

In the first days of the war there was fear and total uncertainty … In the first days of the war, only feelings of fear prevailed over all emotions. Feelings of complete uncertainty for the next day: if there will be bombs, if there will be sirens, if there will be tomorrow.

The siren roars at 2 am, and you wake up from this howl and feel the beating of your heart and the coldness of your body. You can clearly feel each of your tense muscles and brain fog, which works as if in slow motion. You don’t let go of your phone and browse all possible news feeds, scroll in panic that you might miss something. You panic for your fathers and brothers, that they might have to go to the hotspots of the hostilities.

You go crazy looking for bulletproof vests, helmets and weapons. You begin to understand the specifics of all military ammunition. At night, you learn how to use a gun.

After you recover from the amazement you start thinking that at least you can try to be useful. You ask yourself questions: what can I do, what can I do? In desperation you try to jump in somewhere and do something – send funds to purchase caps, uniforms, and other necessities; buy tickets and transfer the family of an unknown fighter across the country; give your phone to a friend who is already on the front line; set up a warehouse with the help of the soldiers, where vegetables from a farm can be delivered.

And all the time you are actively thinking about how to continue living.
On my parents’ farm, we have decided to start sowing seeds as planned, accumulated all the resources and started to do all the work. And this has brought great certainty and support into everyday life, it gives motivation and strength.

Anna, Lviv