When PC4R supporter, Gill Durbin, watched on as refugees began fleeing Ukraine, she found herself wondering what she would do faced with the same terrifying situation – and realised it would not be a straightforward decision…
Gill’s herd of 314 dairy cows couldn’t be abandoned
When Russia invaded Ukraine and, once again, we started to hear reports of a mass exodus of refugees, I asked myself, how would I respond? What if my country was invaded and I feared for the safety of my family? Would we leave everything behind and seek refuge in a foreign country? How bad would it need to be to risk our lives on a perilous journey?
While my initial thought was, of course we would leave, it didn’t take me long to realise it would be completely impossible for us – we have 314 dairy cows who need to be milked twice daily: they could hardly be abandoned! Add in another 233 youngstock and beef animals, and the reality for us would be that we would have to stay until it was probably too late.
Reports from Ukrainian dairy farmers confirm they are having to cope with myriad challenges presented by interrupted energy supply, fuel shortages and variability of milk collection, so I appreciate the decision to stay would also be fraught with difficulties. I have seen harrowing footage of Ukrainian dairy farmers having to milk by hand their remaining cows, while the bloated corpses of those who have not survived (one particular farm counted 30 direct hits) rot around them.
What strikes me most is the resourcefulness of these farmers and their families. They are distributing their milk in their local village and what isn’t required is being collected by the Red Cross. I find it staggering to see their lives so literally blown apart and yet they are getting on with life because, when you have livestock to see to, there is no other choice.
At the same time, I find myself struck by the challenge of whether I would stay or go. I asked my children (13 and 11) if they would leave us and flee with their grandparents or if they would choose to stay. The eldest thought they would stay, the youngest thought they would leave. For those who wonder why someone living in the relative safety of the countryside would even consider this, I ask you to consider the Ukrainian Holodomor which, between 1932 and 1933, caused at least 4 million Ukrainians to starve to death (some estimates consider the total to be nearer 10 million). Rural households were targeted and searched for food they might be hiding – farmers were shot if they were found to be keeping hold of the grain they had produced.
While I remain sure I would have to stay, I do wonder where the younger and older generations in my family would end up, and so the need for that ability to communicate seems so urgent and important.
I support PC4R because I cannot begin to imagine how worrying it must be when you are separated from your loved ones, knowing they have either begun a journey to an unknown destination or knowing that they have stayed in a dangerous situation. I should imagine there is a profound sense of relief every time a message is received, every time a phone call is answered, every time a social media post is seen. The connection that we take for granted multiple times a day – every day – is something I cherish.
My monthly donation on its own might not go very far, but joined with many others it helps to achieve the wonderful aim of allowing people in challenging circumstances to stay connected. For this, I cannot thank all who donate their time, money or both, enough.