In Monaco, they are mobilizing for a charity house in Ternopil in Ukraine
“There is no question of nationality here. I help in the face of injustice.” In front of the white van, which is gradually filling up, a resident of the Principality of Russian nationality came to support the outpouring of Monegasque solidarity in favor of Ukraine.
On board his vehicle: 80 sleeping bags and small mattresses, among other things… “It’s incredible. It’s all we asked for”breath, amazed, Martine Ackermann, who came to swell the ranks of volunteers.
80 people still on site
At his side, Zoya Versace explains: “My friend, who runs a humanitarian organization in Ukraine [l’International charitable foundation for the future, ndlr], had told me that a charity house located in Ternopil needed help. This place, which is called Dom miloserdiia, welcomes orphans, single mothers and children with special needs.” “They have already managed to get about a hundred of them out. But 80 people are still on site,” continues the Ukrainian, originally from Kiev.
Portable chargers, batteries, foam mats, sleeping bags, throws, sofas, baby formula… the list of needs is long. And a good part could be filled yesterday. Residents of the Principality and its surroundings responded to the call.
In one week, the entrance to the car park, below the Monte-Carlo Country Club, has thus become one of the points of spontaneous solidarity of Monegasques in favor of Ukraine. Cars follow one another. Unload their coffers and leave.
Then ask the volunteers to sort, package the products in boxes and store everything carefully in the van. “We write in Ukrainian what the boxes contain, for the sake of efficiency once there,” explains Martine Ackermann. Then the drivers leave for the border.
“We start with two drivers. That way, we can do the 1,800km non-stop”, says Ivan Gontar. Like many mobilized volunteers, Yvan is Ukrainian. “I arrived in France 10 years ago and have been living in Nice for two years with my wife and children. My parents are in Ukraine. They don’t want to leave”, deplores the tiler, who has made his professional van available to the association. How is it going there? “It’s hard to explain”he sighs, unable to say more.
“We can’t imagine”
For Anfisa and her two daughters, who arrived from Ukraine after five days of long flight, it is also difficult to put words to what they have experienced. “We can’t imagine”, murmurs the one whose husband stayed to defend his country.
Leaving from a small town near Kiev the day after Vladimir Putin declared war, the family took three days to reach the border with Poland. “When I could no longer drive, we slept with friends or even strangers, who opened their doors to us”says Anfisa.
From town to town, she recounts the kilometers of traffic jams on the roads. Then the endless queues of buses piled up at the border. “Some buses take three days to get through. So the grandmothers of the surrounding villages take turns to cook food for them, especially for the children. We, fortunately, managed to sneak past in 12 hours…”
Arriving in Monaco on Thursday with her two daughters, she found refuge with her friend Zoya Versace, who is expecting other exiles in the days to come.
On the side of the MCCC, another collection is already planned today. And Martine Ackermann details: “This time we especially need baby products: milk from 0 to 18 months, canapes, baby bottles, saline, cotton, diaper cream, habits…” Donations can be dropped off from noon to 4 p.m.
The association’s volunteers regularly communicate the dates of the collections on social networks. Four meetings are already scheduled for the week of March 7 to 12:
- Monday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.,
- Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.,
- Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.,
- Saturday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The volunteers are installed at the entrance to the car park, under the Monte-Carlo Country Club.