Kuba Sadecki and Anna Gurnikewicz are volunteering for Caritas for the first time. A long time ago, Kuba had once volunteered to help out during a flood disaster when he was in school. Why he was drawn to the Ukrainian border, he can’t answer exactly – it just felt like the right thing to do. He’s been following the news and reading the appeals for help. In doing so, he saw that there were hardly any helpers in Dorohusk. Without much thought, he drove to the border.
Caritas Poland welcomed him with open arms and gave him work. “The first days were hard,” says Kuba. Three times he cried. People were crossing the border half-frozen. It broke his heart to see children suffering like that. He could hardly sleep. Over the last days, the situation has improved somewhat, he says.
«The first days were hard. I have never experienced anything like this in my life. Being here feels good, it makes me feel useful». Kuba Sadecki
This shows him that his help is useful, he explains. He also got a week-long crash course in the Ukrainian. Sometimes he works in a field kitchen, sometimes he brings people across the border or organizes drivers. Today, he stands at the border crossing and helps the arrivals get their bearings.
«Even though it’s emotional, I can handle the emotions better here than at home. The active help supports me in this». Anna Gurnikewicz
The close contact with his fiancée Anna helped him process what he had seen. After a week, Anna decided to follow him. She heard the emotional reports from Kuba and did everything she could to take a vacation.
Since yesterday, she too has been standing at the Dorohusk border crossing, welcoming the arriving refugees. She knows Ukraine well and has been there many times. The fact that the war is so close moves her very much. She helps the people across the border. She carries their luggage and keeps them company. Sometimes she cries with them.
Philipp Spalek for Caritas