Millions of Ukrainian refugees have continued to cross the Polish border in search of safety and a new life. Among them are some of Ukraine’s most vulnerable: orphans.
Straight Arrow News met with Peter Zagarsky, the headmaster at an orphanage in Kaweczynek, Poland. He’s been caring for 24 children from Lutsk, Ukraine. The orphanage’s name translates to “The Honor of Helping Children.”
“Every kid here is like my own family,” Zagarsky said. “So we are going to help them and give them some safety.”
The children crossed the border into Poland shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine. Many had only the clothes on their backs. Zargarsky said shortly after their arrival, the town worked together to provide the children with “everything they need,” including food, toys, and even volunteers to help secure medicine that’s in short supply. Many of the children are disabled, so Zagarsky said stability for the orphans has been crucial.
“You see this on their faces… this is their new home,” he said.
The orphans will stay in Poland indefinitely, only returning to Ukraine if and when the war concludes. There is currently a pause on all Ukrainian adoptions.
“Some of them don’t have [a] future because nobody will take them,” Zagarsky said. “They are too old. They have too much disability. So their only future is to go back to Ukraine.”
