Toulouse: the arrival of new Ukrainian refugees
Eight Ukrainian refugees accompanied by seven volunteers finally arrive in Toulouse, after having traveled nearly 3,000 km in two and a half days. Story of a long journey.
“I finally see a calm sky”, reacts Daria, who left Mariupol with her two children aged 7 and 12. She and seven other refugees finally arrive at the gymnasium of the Toulouse-Lautrec college, converted into a reception center. Two mothers and their children, two friends and a man traveled nearly 3,000 km from Poland to Toulouse.
A long trip organized by the association “A violet for Ukraine”
The five volunteers from the association “A violet for Ukraine” took care of them. Marc Dulibeaud created this association with his Ukrainian wife, Zoriana, at the outbreak of the war, on February 24. After raising the necessary funds, Marc leaves with two drivers, a translator and donations last Sunday. The volunteers then took care of the refugees, originally from Mariupol, Kharkiv and kyiv.
A slowdown on arrival
Forced to flee their country, they arrive with some summary belongings made up of donations informed on the road. The features drawn, after this long journey, Daria feels relieved: “I feel out of danger”. With the rest of her family still in Ukraine, she is very worried about them. It must be said that many kilometers now separate her from her family after a journey from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. Arrived at their destination, the volunteers keep smiling despite their fatigue. “We tried to set the mood on the road”, specifies Eric, one of the drivers before resuming his seriousness “it was hard but we remained benevolent to give them confidence”.
Together for two and a half days, the trip was a real adventure. As soon as they arrive, the refugees are taken care of by the town hall of Toulouse and the associations to provide them with accommodation as quickly as possible. Tomorrow, another convoy leaves Toulouse for Ukraine.