Ukrainian man here offering help to any Jamaican still in his country
MONTEGO BAY, St James — After news broke that the 24 Jamaican students who had journeyed from the city of Lviv in Ukraine had made it safely into neighbouring Poland, a Ukrainian man living in Jamaica has offered to assist other Jamaicans wanting to flee his country now fighting a bitter war after it was invaded by Russia.
“If there’s anyone still trying to get out and need money for tickets, food, transportation, or shelter, I would be happy to help,” Dymtro Ason told the Jamaica Observer.
Ason, who has been living in Jamaica for three years, said that his decision to offer help is motivated by his love for the island and its people.
“I am trying to help my country as much as I can, but I live and work here now. I have really connected with Jamaica so when I heard the story, I just wanted to help in the best way possible,” he said.
“After reading the Observer stories I realised that it is very hard for people to get out of Kyiv and other places in the west side of the country. There is a lot of chaos and confusion in the train stations,” Ason continued.
“As bad as it is for someone who is Ukrainian, I can just imagine how terrifying it is for someone who isn’t a national. A foreigner would be desperate to leave the country and I want to help. I know it might be a small number of Jamaicans there but it’s not just the students,” he said.
Asked how he would get money to any Jamaican still in Ukraine, Ason said, “If they have Ukrainian bank cards I can transfer the funds directly.”
He said that despite the conflict, automated teller machines and online banking services are still available. “The hard part is getting out of wherever people are,” he reasoned.
Sharing that he, too, has family living in the eastern European country, Ason told the Observer that his relatives are safe and sound for the time being.
“My dad and his wife live in Kyiv, which is the capital city that is being attacked and surrounded right now. They live on the outskirts, so thankfully, everything that is going on is far from where they are,” he said.
He added that his relatives are watching the situation closely before deciding on their next move.
Last Thursday Poland announced that it would open nine reception centres along its 535-kilometre-long (332mile) border with Ukraine, in anticipation of an influx of refugees after the Russian invasion Wednesday night Jamaica time.
But, along with the influx of people attempting to flee war-torn Ukraine unhurt, there have been reports of nationals forcing non-nationals off buses heading to the border. This has prompted worldwide discussion about racism amid the crisis.
Acknowledging this as unfortunate, Ason told the Observer that he believes this invasion is taking a “toll” on some Ukrainians as they try their best to flee the country.
“There are shouting and pushing incidents between Ukrainian nationals as well. The toll this war is taking on people is horrendous [as] these are people who are desperately trying to get from under missile strikes,” the Ukrainian man explained.
“Not everyone can keep a cool head but what we should all focus more on — and there is a lot more evidence of this — is how people are coming together to help each other and those in need. There is way more solidarity and help than isolated incidents of anger, rage, and stress that spill out in an unfortunate way,” Ason added.