Family from Hörlkofen helps refugees from Ukraine: strangers become friends
Created: 03/09/2022, 18:00
By: Veronica power
Escaped from Ukraine (from left): Anastasiia Valiaieva (41) with daughter Rebecca Shvets (10), Maryna Valiaieva (40) and Ethan (3) and his mother Tonya Valiaieva (26, far right).
The Munich Christin Du Toit (2nd from right) met the family in Munich.
© Private
Even if it's just accommodation for one or two nights: That alone helps numerous refugees from Ukraine a lot.
Like the Valiaieva family, who found shelter in Hörlkofen.
Hörlkofen
– Take a deep breath and spend the night in safety, without fear of bombs and sirens: In the district, more and more citizens are offering people who are fleeing Ukraine a place to stay.
Often it is only for one or two nights, because many want to go to other countries where relatives or friends live.
The same goes for the Valiaieva family from Tschernihiw, who found shelter in Hörlkofen on their way to Portugal after a week's flight.
It is last Thursday evening.
War had broken out in Ukraine a week earlier.
Caritas welcomes people who have fled Ukraine at Munich Central Station.
Christin Du Toit is there too.
Woken up by sirens and explosions
"I discover a small family, tired and worn out, and ask directly how I can help," says the Munich native.
The family - four adults and two children - comes from Chernihiv, a large city northeast of Kyiv on the border with Russia and Belarus.
They want to continue to Portugal, to friends.
But first they find shelter in the district of Erding, with a colleague of Du Toit.
The Hörlkofenerin and her family want to remain anonymous.
"We didn't help to distinguish ourselves," they say.
And yet they hope for imitators who will drive to the train station in Munich and see how they can help the Ukrainians arriving there.
Du Toit describes what the Valiaieva family experienced during their escape.
On February 24, when the war of aggression against Ukraine began, they were woken up at 5 a.m. by sirens and explosions.
The small family immediately packed their belongings in plastic bags and took a taxi to the sisters, collecting them and a niece.
Three-day odyssey through Ukraine
After that, a three-day odyssey through Ukraine began.
They called friends and family and asked everyone to leave immediately to take the children to safety.
However, many could not have imagined what would happen in the next few days and wanted to stay.
also read
Stock up on emergency stocks – Now shop according to this checklist
Power failure, quarantine, flooding and the like - there are many reasons for an emergency supply.
The federal government recommends the following foods for 10 days.
Stock up on emergency stocks – Now shop according to this checklist
The four adults and two children – Rebecca is ten, Ethan just three and a half years old – continued to take a taxi to Shepetivka.
The mother-in-law lives there – in an apartment directly opposite a military base.
But even this was not a safe place for the children, because there were bomb sirens here too, and they had to seek protection in air raid shelters.
So the family drove on to the Hungarian border.
“They are now on the road for three days.
Driver and family take turns to manage the ride.
You make it to the border.
The driver only takes the gas money, the solidarity within the Ukrainian population is so strong,” says Du Toit.
Family from Hörlkofen takes in the refugees
The family managed to cross the border into Hungary, traveled to Budapest, Vienna and finally Munich.
"This is where our paths cross," says Du Toit.
She posts on social networks and contacts acquaintances - "and a big heart has already been found": The family from Hörlkofen takes in the refugees.
They get there around 11pm.
Exhausted but incredibly happy to have a safe place to sleep.
“What is happening now shows how strong we are,” says Du Toit: friends and neighbors are activated, and many donations arrive the next day.
The family enjoys the day safely and can collect themselves.
We have breakfast, we talk a lot from the soul and also cry.
“Within hours, a bond develops that gives them a lot of courage and confidence.
The day passes with a huge sympathy and a wonderful exchange across two countries.”
“Everyone had plans for the future.
Now they're scared"
Just seven days before her arrival in Hörlkofen, the family's life was wonderful.
“Everyone had future plans and a home.
Now they fear for anyone left behind, yet they are grateful that they are alive and able to build a life for their children in a new country.”
In the meantime, the Ukrainians have traveled on to Portugal, where they have friends and a place to stay.
Two of the family members teach online English and hope to continue from there.
Du Toit and the helpers from Hörlkofen want to support the Valiaievas financially, because they could hardly have taken anything with them when they fled.
They also want to help their family and friends in Ukraine.
A fundraising campaign was launched for this purpose at www.betterplace.me/Sicherheit-fuer-tonya-und-familie-aus-der-ukraine.
The people from Hörlkofen want to keep in touch with their new friends.
In just 24 hours, strangers have become exactly that - friends whose story is encouraging.
Erding newsletter: Everything from your region!
Our Erding newsletter informs you regularly about all the important stories from the Erding region - including all the news about the Corona crisis in your community.
Sign up here.
vam