When families fled Eastern Ukraine at the start of the war, a majority passed through our project area, and several hundred families settled in our area because they had nowhere else to go. Alessia worked hard to get them settled in abandoned shacks, apartments, and rooms in other people’s homes. Since the refugees had no collateral, Alessia had to sign documents saying that she was legally responsible for the families. Just before Christmas, a boy in one of “her” families plugged an electric kettle into a socket and, because of bad wiring in the walls, a fire started and did extensive damage.
Thank goodness everyone lived – some passed out from smoke inhalation, but neighbors got them out and revived them. It was a terrible blow at a time Alessia and her team were already feeling particularly exhausted and discouraged from the past three years of war and their endless work. But hardest of all for Alessia, with her kind and gentle soul that was constantly pouring herself out for others, was the way the owner treated her. The woman who owns the house was furious and immediately contacted her lawyer to sue Alessia. In Ukraine, no one carries insurance and the people living in a room/apartment are legally responsible for damage even if it is caused by faulty construction. For days, the owner and her daughter screamed non-stop at Alessia with such venom that it cut to Alessia’s core.
Global Pearls board members donated to help Alessia with materials, and she and her team of volunteers worked intensively to repair the damage. We often fret about how negative things like fake news and hatred and fear can spread so easily, but this experience was proof that love can ALSO be contagious!
From Alessia:
This woman, she was struck by our unity, how we united. She saw such unity between us in solving the fire. She said: “I have never seen people from different regions come together like this, and even people you have never seen before.”
She is a little shocked by everything, but she is no longer screaming. This makes me happy😅
because my ears were ringing from morning till night from her screams😅
Today she came to our school. We didn’t invite her😅 but she came🤦♀️
We have a lot of work to do. She dusted the tables and even washed the chairs!
Now we’re the ones in shock.
We don’t bother her. We just watch what she’s doing and let her do it. Many of us are afraid to say anything because we think she might start screaming😅 We all just look at each other and smile.
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