Ukraine: BSF takes action

In response to the 3,5 million Ukrainians who have fled the war, BSF is mobilizing to set up emergency, information and integration solutions for the refugee population. Our team is currently deploying an Ideas Box library at the Hrubieszow gymnasium in Poland, about ten kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Transformed into an emergency accommodation and transit centre, the space welcomes and aids almost 700 refugees every day, most of whom are women and children.

The rapid deterioration of the security situation in Ukraine following the Russian offensive is leading to massive population displacements within the country and beyond its borders – mainly in Poland, Hungary, Moldova, Slovakia and Romania.

In addition to primary needs, the issues related to protection, orientation, information and psychosocial support for these people – mainly women and children – are also absolute priorities. In the coming months, the reception and integration of millions of refugees in European countries will be an immense challenge that must be met collectively.

In Hrubieszow, the Ideas Box provides families with novels and children’s books in Ukrainian selected by our team as well as board games and computers to offer them a moment of relief and escape in the midst of hardship. They also have access to creative materials for drawing, painting, photographing, writing and filming. The Hrubieszow library staff has been trained to operate the Ideas Box by our team and organizes fun and educational activities daily for those present, whether it be for a few hours or several days.

With your support, we can do much more. In this unprecedented context, BSF has developed an action plan to support refugees in two ways :

In humanitarian crisis and conflict situations, access to quality information is a vital necessity. Rumors and the spread of false information have devastating effects on already fragile populations. By creating safe and engaging information hubs, BSF enables refugees to make the right decisions at the most critical moments while also offering families, especially children, a moment of relief in the midst of their ordeal.

To implement this entire action plan, BSF is raising €2M. By reaching the first threshold of €200,000, we will be able to deploy the first two Ideas Box at the border and create the first four emergency libraries in refugee shelters in France.

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