Over 100 blind refugees from Ukraine have found safe haven in Poland and beyond thanks to the close cooperation of Polish NGOs, ordinary citizens and the Polish state.
Safe haven for the blind
Polish foundation Ari Ari has been supporting blind people from Ukraine for more than nine years, in cooperation with Ukrainian organisation Pravo Vibora from the northeastern city of Kharkiv.
They have completed more than 20 projects together for young people with sight disabilities, equipping centres for children and young adults, and providing rehabilitation and training.
Polish foundations working together
Ari Ari joined forces with the Polish chapter of the Art of Living foundation to help almost 100 blind refugees flee Ukraine.
The foundations provided transport from the Polish border and stay at the International Art of Living Centre in Taraska near Piotrków Trybunalski in central Poland.
As well as accommodation, the Art of Living has been providing trauma-relief programmes for refugees.
The Art of Living's Tomasz Knitter said: "It is one challenge to lose your home, your livelihood, near and dear ones, to have to move from one country to another, probably several times. But if you lose hope, you are really lost."
He added: "Our programmes, based on breathing techniques and meditation, aim to help refugees find the inner strength to rebuild their lives. We have provided over 22,000 counselling sessions as part of our Healing, Resilience, Empowerment (HRE) programme."
Art of Living Center Taraska (Image: Art of Living)
Additional challenges facing disabled refugees
The groups of disabled people helped by Ari Ari and the Art of Living face greater challenges than the able-bodied as refugees. They often need to remain together, being used to mutual support. This makes them less flexible as refugees for housing and transport than others travelling from Ukraine to Poland - usually mothers with children.
Longin Graczyk, co-founder and head of Ari Ari, said: "The overwhelming majority of our guests, around 90 percent, are not able to handle daily life without support."
The normal level of difficulty facing the blind is multiplied by being in another country - travelling, changing homes.
Even during peacetime, "disability" is a systemic and social phenomenon, not only an individual physical matter, according to Graczyk. The "able-bodied" co-create the opportunities for the "disabled" - as well as the difficulties.
What's next?
Most of the blind people evacuated with the support of Ari Ari and the Art of Living come from southern and eastern Ukraine - from Kharkiv, Kramatorsk, Mariupol, Odesa, as well as from the capital Kyiv. The majority have come through Lviv, the main transit city on the Ukrainian side.
At present, the majority remain in Poland - in special centres and private homes. Several have also travelled on to other EU countries.
(pt/gs)
Source: ariari.org/pl, artofliving.org/pl