“Gas masks, first aid kits, sleeping bags, level IV bulletproof vests…” Sitting at the table in her colleague’s apartment, Olga enumerates aloud the items on a list carefully written in the Cyrillic alphabet. “These are the things my brother wanted me to send him,” explains the Homework the teacher in the reception class at Île-des-Sœurs elementary school.
This Ukrainian of origin, who wishes to conceal her identity to protect her loved ones, confides that she has not slept much for three weeks. She witnesses live, but from a distance, a war that affects those she loves more than anything in the world and who live under the threat of bombs. “We’re so used to it that we didn’t think it was going to happen at all,” she says, almost apologizing for her naivety.
When she learned of the outbreak of the war, Olga rushed to the phone to first call her brother, who is a prosecutor in Ukraine, who confirmed the inconceivable to her. “I then called my mother and told her: ‘Mom, the war has begun, start praying’”, says the teacher who arrived in Quebec in 2008 with her husband and children.
Olga spent the first week glued to the television screen, neither eating nor sleeping. “I was in tears. I was screaming “Why do we have to be killed?” she said, still moved. ” I could not do anything. During spring break, she even went to the airport in the hope of going to join her brother in Ukraine. “But there were no more flights, not even to nearby countries. »
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In 2014, Olga went to spend a month with her brother, who told her of his intention to get involved in the war in Donbass, the region from which they came. She had followed him almost everywhere, had slept on the floor on a mattress in his apartment, which housed fighters, and had watched their discussions until late at night. “It was the best month of my life,” she says, nostalgic. “Because I was with him all the time. »
This time, she ignores her little brother’s role in the resistance. He sporadically writes her laconic messages to tell her that he has changed places, without further details. Is he working to document evidence of war crimes? Is he himself a fighter? His silence weighs a ton on Olga’s shoulders, who, as soon as the bell rings, waits for her students to leave to close the door to her classroom and break down in tears.
“I saw in her non-verbal that something was happening,” intervenes Marc Patenaude, the colleague with whom she takes her dinner break. This physical education teacher quickly realized that the little biscuits he brought her were not enough to fill her blank stare. ” It really is tough for her. »
Until last week, Olga received a much longer than usual message from her brother. A list whose content is not reassuring, but for Olga, it was an opportunity to get out of her torpor. “I cried all the time, I was paralyzed. It’s thanks to Marc that I was able to do something. »
An island to the rescue
Originally from the Magdalen Islands, Marc Patenaude is a particularly resourceful sailing enthusiast. His dining room is a joyful bric-a-brac piled up with mattresses, chairs and other everyday objects that he has begun to collect for the Ukrainians who will make their way to L’Île-des- Sisters. The energetic teacher, who likes to recover discarded devices to give them a second life, did not hesitate to help his colleague. “I said to him, ‘Go! We are going to call everyone!” he says. “We have to be able to allow people to give here, on the island. »
Very involved in his community, this father, who has children in shared custody, launched a group a few years ago that organized outdoor activities for parents and their offspring, aimed in particular at promoting the role of father. in the society. The van of these “Dads in action” could be used to collect donations of outdoor equipment for families in need. For the past few days, a flag of Ukraine at the window, she has been parked in front of the church, the doors unlocked, and collects donations from the generous residents of Verdun.
“Solidarity is a quality that is instilled in children from primary school. So as a teacher, that was the least you could do,” he says. “In L’Île-des-Sœurs, we are a tight-knit community, everyone knows each other. It’s a strength that you can have, ”he adds, saying that he is called several times a week by people who want to give.
Olga welcomes the efforts of citizens coordinated with the network of churches. She contributed to it herself. But she felt she needed to know where her money and possessions were going and, above all, she wanted to help her loved ones more directly. “It’s very good humanitarian aid. But we also wanted to help our family. »
Look for bulletproof vests
The two colleagues have become, despite themselves, experts in military equipment. You have to see them talking about the price and the legislation surrounding the purchase of bulletproof vests. “We went on the Internet and called all the suppliers, as far as the United States,” says Marc Patenaude, who has also registered as a reservist in the army, in case Canada sends troops to Ukraine. “From what I understand, vests are sold out for the moment. But we did not abandon the project. »
Almost all of the items requested were received, including a bulletproof vest. “He is not level IV, but he can still be used”, believes Olga, who finally sent her precious package on Wednesday by the Meest company, which will deliver it directly to Ukraine, to a place kept secret, where her brother will go get it. A certain relief for this teacher, who can now channel her helplessness into concrete action. “Even if we live elsewhere, the country needs us! “Especially, she adds with a smile, since a second list has just arrived.