“Our ADRA team headed to the village of Semenivka, just 10 km from the Russian border. We are in an area that faces intense shelling and bombing every day. Before the war, over 7,000 people lived here, but most have since fled. Some abandoned homes are now occupied by people displaced from the front lines.
For our trip to Semenivka, we packed two small vans with food and hygiene supplies. Smaller vehicles allow us to be more agile and less likely to attract attention from drones or spies. After a safety briefing, we set out early from Chernihiv. Three hours later, after navigating rough roads, we arrived in Semenivka. We passed through forests and swamps, swarmed by gnats and mosquitoes. Checkpoints became more frequent and strict. Thankfully, Father Mikhail has an unrestricted pass for the entire area, and even the soldiers greet him with respect. He serves as a chaplain in the field and in hospitals. ‘Don’t fasten your seatbelt (in case you need to jump out quickly), and no stopping or taking pictures on the way.’
When we lost cell signal, I started feeling very uneasy… We transformed a small wooden house in Semenivka, which serves as a prayer house for the local Christian community, into an ADRA humanitarian aid distribution center.
An elderly volunteer, Mr. Viktor, joined us in the van to guide us to the homes hardest hit by shelling. It’s too dangerous to gather people for distribution, so we go door to door, delivering aid directly. Even though it’s a beautiful day, we have to keep moving because most people stay hidden indoors. We personally deliver food and hygiene packages and chat with them to offer encouragement.
One man (we won’t disclose names for safety reasons) invited us into his home, where two rockets had hit. One exploded in the bedroom, blowing out windows and a wall. The other pierced the roof and wall, landed in the ground, but didn’t explode… Miraculously, he survived. In the neighboring house, they weren’t as lucky. An elderly man, who accepted a relief package, showed us, ‘This is where a rocket hit and killed my son. He was only 30 years old…’ There are no shelters in the village, so during shelling, people either hide in cellars or sit in their homes, praying their house won’t be hit.
Many homes have boarded-up windows, and others are burnt out… This is the harsh reality of war. The gardens are overgrown because ‘the young fled, and the old can’t manage.’ When the fighting intensified, several elderly women were relocated here from surrounding settlements. They refuse to leave the area, waiting for the day they can return home.
A young woman, clearly in deep depression, stepped out into the street saying, ‘I don’t need anything anymore, nothing will help me…’ Gradually, she started talking. Her husband is in the hospital after a stroke, and she doesn’t know what to do.
Some of the elderly joked with us, and we laughed and cried with them. Each one had a heavy story to share. One grandmother hugged and kissed all of us. I smiled (through tears) and admired Father Mikhail, who stayed in the area, regularly bringing aid and caring for them, helping them cope emotionally. He confided that he’s utterly exhausted, having not taken a single day off or vacation in years… I must admit, most of the time there wasn’t much to say.
Fortunately, we could hand over those boxes, which don’t require much explanation. Father Mikhail always had a few words of encouragement with a touch of humor. He believes it’s important not to dwell on people’s trauma but to help them distract themselves and think about others. And it really works. Neighbors help each other in remarkable ways. We returned to Chernihiv through endless checkpoints and inspections, relieved that this day was peaceful and incident-free.
But what will happen tonight and tomorrow to these people who stayed behind? I sincerely hope their wish, ‘May it end soon, so we can go home!’ becomes a reality.”
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