Ukraine continues to be battered by ballistic missile attacks, including one of the largest barrages last week that targeted the capital, Kyiv. At least one death was reported, and many others were injured. The Fellowship and our partners in the region pray for the people every day and refuse to let these attacks deter us from helping the most vulnerable, who are struggling to survive with our support.
This past week, we visited the home of 95-year-old Basya.
Basya has lived alone on the sixth floor of her apartment building in Lviv for nearly 60 years. Having never married or had children, her closest companion throughout her life was her mother. Basya was 10 years old when World War II began and was living with her Jewish family in Kyiv. Her father was drafted into the Red Army and was killed in action. As the war reached her hometown, Basya and her mother were evacuated to central Russia. She doesn’t remember the battles or Nazi attacks during that time—only the hunger.
Basya remembers the little food and her mother relied on from the collective she had to work at: “My mother was bringing home five small potatoes. Thanks to those five small potatoes, we survived. Those were the happiest days because we had something better to eat.”
Her mother also planted potatoes in their own garden. But before they could harvest them, neighborhood children took them. Basya remembers that her mother was never angry because she knew the children were just as hungry as they were.
Today, Basya’s mother has long since passed away, as have most of her friends. Loneliness is one of her greatest struggles, which is why The Fellowship’s support means so much to her.
Basya receives regular home care visits, food assistance, and access to the medication she needs as she lives with lung disease and asthma. During this most recent visit, our partners also brought warm, home-cooked meals in addition to her regular food box.
“Every time somebody comes here, it’s like a holiday for me,” Basya says. “I feel alive again. Thanks to your help, I am alive today.”