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Ludmila is a refugee from a Romanian village near Chernivtsi, who fled the war with two children, pregnant with Evelina, who is about to be born in Sibiu. Their chance was the family of the priest from the village of Vestem, Bogdan Constantin Taifas.
I met Ludmila with Veronica, the minister's wife from Vestem, while they were choosing a crib for Evelina, at the warehouse for Ukrainian refugees from central County of Sibiu, in Zacaria.
"I have been here in Vestem (Sibiu County) for a week. My husband and son are still at home, but they are locked in the house. I am about to give birth to a baby girl, who will be named Evelina," Ludmila told AGERPRES.
What does the aid received in the country from good hearted people mean? "A lot. A great deal, because the pastor and his wife, their family, helped me a lot and will continue to help me," she said.
There were no bombings in Ludmila's village, but there is fear.
The priest from the village of Vestem left a week ago, with a minibus full of aid, to the northeastern Siret Customs, to help the refugees. He took with him two of the children, the girl and one of the boys. Maria, the priest's daughter, told him on the way that she wanted to return home with a refugee family.
"We made a collection last week, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, to raise aid. My husband, the priest from Vestem, Bogdan Constantin Taifas, filled the minibus with all the aid and went to customs in Siret, with my daughter and on the way, Maria, our daughter, told Bogdan, my husband: "Dad, do you think we can help a family? Could we go back with them?" said Veronica, the minister's wife from Vestem.
And fate put on their path Ludmila, who was 35 weeks pregnant and with two children.
"When they arrived at the refugee camp, they unloaded the aid and then my husband asked if we could help a family. And the lady who worked there at the refugee center told him that she had someone who had now entered the country, she is pregnant and has two children. Ludmila agreed to come to Vestem with the two children, a 15-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy. She had to leave her husband and a five-year-old boy at home," says Veronica.
"Ludmila and the children got along very well. Her son is sleeping in bed with my boys. She wanted to go to Italy, where Ludmila's mother is, but I explained that she is pregnant and it is better to stay here. If necessary, we will go to the border and we will also bring the five-year-old boy, so that we help his family," said Veronica.
In every aid collection center for refugees there is not only food, clothes, shoes, all donated by Romanians, but also many, many tears of pain, but also hope. Now, the volunteers who yesterday were carrying cans and water for the refugees are all preparing to help Evelina - a Romanian child from Ukraine, who will see the light of day in the maternity hospital in the middle of Romania, in Sibiu.
