ACCOMMODATING REFUGEES in Hungary
By Caitanya Candra das
As far as accommodation is concerned, to date, 90 Ukrainian devotees have come to Hungary, including 32 children. Some devotees were in transit and just stayed overnight, others are staying for a while to rest and weigh up their options.
Presently we have 60 devotees (18 children) here in the country, some housed with devotees, some in the Budapest temple and others in the New Vraja Dhama farm community. Five families (7 matajis and 4 children), are in New Vraja Dhama and have expressed desire to be a part of the community for a longer term.
We will be receiving another 30+ devotees soon, and are in communication with another 30 who are expressing their desire to come.
Members of our Crisis Coordination team, Bhaktipada Goswami and Nilamani Cakravarti dd. are working flat out in cooperation with local devotees to help our Ukrainian brothers and sisters; picking devotees up from the border, prasadam, accomodation, and providing practical help.
FOOD RELIEF FOR REFUGEES
As far as food distribution is concerned, the Food for Life Hungary team has also been on a marathon feeding refugees on the Ukraine / Hungarian border and in refugee shelters in Budapest and in the countryside as well, on the request of the local government or the owners of the shelters, daily distributing between 600 - 2,000 plates of hot prasadam, alongside fruit, bread and biscuits.
On the request of the Indian Embassy, Food for Life also took part in Operation Ganga, feeding thousands of Indian students fleeing Ukraine into Hungary. At the peak of the operation they were delivering 1,500 hot meals, altogether delivering 6,000 plates of hot food to them.
All this on top of their regular Food for Life activities to the Hungarian population, 2,000 hot meals daily - local congregation devotees were drafted in to assist with the increased seva.
More recently prasadam distribution to refugees has been focused on 2 train stations in Budapest and 6 refugee centers scattered across Hungary, averaging around 600 hot meals daily, soon to increase to 900 as more refugee centers are established as a result of the increasing number of new arrivals.
We would like to thank our congregation for their kind help, and also our sponsors and supporters for assisting us in this time of need.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
All glories to Sri Sri Radha Syamasundara!