Almost 200 displaced Ukrainian children and their parents/carers experienced precious Christmas cheer on Saturday at a Christmas feast day hosted by the Ukrainian Council of NSW (UCNSW) at the Ukrainian Youth Centre in Lidcombe.
The children and parents/carers viewed a traditional Ukrainian Christmas performance, ate Ukrainian food including holubtsi (savoury rice wrapped in cabbage leaves) and received presents from Sviatyi Mykolay (St Nicholas). The performers, the cooks and even St. Nicholas were all displaced Ukrainians trying to build new lives in Australia.
Mr Andrew Mencinsky, UCNSW Vice President said “This is a difficult time for displaced Ukrainians and their children. Many have not been able to speak to family or loved ones in Ukraine for extended periods, due to continued Russian bombing of civilian energy and telecommunications infrastructure. The fear of death or injury to their loved ones is ever present.”
“We wanted to show them that our community and Australia supports them.”
Sydneysiders and Sydney businesses have given generously to make this a special Christmas for these children. Companies such as Woolworths, Lego, Aussie Gumnuts Press, Optus, the Sydney Swans, Good Neighbours, Good360, K-Mart, Addi Road, Officeworks and Mars have donated tens of thousands of dollars worth of gifts to the Ukrainian children.
“The UCNSW is overwhelmed and incredibly thankful for the generosity of Australia and Australians towards Ukraine and Ukrainians,” said Mr Mencinsky.
“The NSW government also recently donated $500,000 to the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO) to assist in the resettlement of the thousands of displaced Ukrainians in NSW. We are exploring how to best distribute the aid – displaced Ukrainians desperately need help with food, housing, medical check fees and transport costs.”
For displaced Ukrainians, an ever present concern are the current visa arrangements.
“For those who arrived before 31 July 2022 under the humanitarian program, there is uncertainty about what happens after the three years is up, and whether husbands/fathers can join their families in Australia,” said Mr Mencinsky.
“For those who arrived after 31 July 2022, there is even greater uncertainty. They need to apply for a different type of visa, the outcome of which is not guaranteed.”
“We will continue to discuss with the state and federal governments how to provide certainty to displaced Ukrainians. Haven’t these innocent people suffered enough?” he added.
