CONTRASTS IN UKRAINE: Despair and Hope
We arrive during the gray, messy time of late winter. Last year’s dried weeds and strewn garbage is a scene of despair. A few weeks later spring has changed the landscape to fresh shades of green. Blooming daffodils, hyacinths, crocuses, tulips and the blossoms of the various fruit trees lift our spirits and give us hope. It seems that the resurrection is enacted before our eyes!
Garbage disposal is a despairing issue in Ukraine. There is litter along highways and in public places. For some reason, vacant lots become garbage dumps! However, when Easter approaches, people begin to clean up. Children are seen carrying rakes and brooms to school to participate in a work day. Schoolyards are generally tidy and some private yards are meticulous. Several tenants from our apartment worked together for a whole afternoon, cleaning the empty lot in front of the building, gathering garbage, raking, loading branches and old bricks onto a truck. A young friend of ours who has done a practicum in Germany tells us how he gets after his friends who litter, insisting that they have to clean it up!
According to news media and talk on the streets, corruption in this country is staggering, reaching into all levels of society. Has this country not suffered hard and long enough? How we all need to pray for this country! However, the local mayor has said that he is planning to overhaul the water system in Molochansk. We hope for this, because the citizens are often without running water due to breaks in the water pipes. A Ukrainian friend tells us she is still hopeful for Ukraine, claiming that the younger generation will not put up with corruption in the long run.
The quality of education in the schools varies. Changes do not come easily. One new principal demands performance from her staff. She has given demonstrations as to how to teach and encourage students. We were invited to observe one of her classes and were impressed by her example.
Common scenes in the town reveal the extent of alcohol abuse: An inebriated middle aged woman on all fours on the sidewalk, struggling to stand u p straight; youths walking along the street with open bottles of liquor; a man sleeping off a drunken stupor lying beside the path behind our apartment. In contrast, we observe the youth at the Centre becoming involved in a computer club or history exploration group. These meetings are followed by a snack and games of Dutch Blitz or table tennis. A large youth group attends the local Mennonite Church services regularly, assists with the children’s activities , and enjoys weekly floor hockey matches in the school gym. Many more families with young children have become involved in the church. Classes in the sports, music, and craft schools provide opportunities f or wholesome activities.
