(…) The first stop for most refugees who enter is the free SIM card booth so they can access their phones and get in touch with family in Ukraine. There was a short queue in front of the tables for the Open Dialogue Foundation, which runs a database of registered accommodations and transport abroad to countries like Germany, Sweden, and Canada. Two massage therapists were giving out free massages, and children were shyly picking at the toys in a small play area. Three little boys were excitedly kicking a mini soccer ball around the hall. A magician showed up to entertain some kids with card games.
(…) NGOs are encouraging refugees to move on from larger cities in Poland to smaller cities, where rent is cheaper and their cash assistance will go further. Dominik Berlinski works for the Open Dialogue Foundation, an NGO founded in 2009 that promotes democracy in post-Soviet states, and started helping connect people with housing on the first day of the war. “After about three weeks it was very difficult to find any new shelters,” says Berlinski. “So now we are focused on relocation to other countries.”
Read the full article: motherjones.com
