We are used to seeing Dénia as a paradise to live in and a privileged place to visit. But there are people for whom it means that and much more. Dénia has also become a refuge for hundreds of families, most of them divided because of the sad war.
It is one year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine that disrupted the normality of an entire country. The constant attacks forced a large part of the population of women and children to flee their homes to seek refuge thousands of kilometers away, in places where they never thought they would end up living. And in them they survive, get ahead and try to find their space until the long-awaited day arrives that allows them to be reunited with their homes.
Many of these refugees have stayed in Dénia. And it is in the city where, far from being intimidated by the prospect of having to get ahead In an unknown place, with unknown customs, they have decided to act and do everything in their power to help their country and their countrymen.
Born with this idea in March 2022 the Aid Association for Ukraine in Dénia. In it, Vira, its president, along with several volunteers have managed to create a space where the now Ukrainian neighbors can be at home. They meet daily to strengthen their ties and maintain contact with their culture. They give Ukrainian classes for the children, but also dance, song and art from their country. They also help with the preparation to integrate into their new town by teaching Spanish courses, both for adults and children, and even English.
The association is made up of a hundred people Some 50 children already attend his courses. People whose lives should have been paralyzed, but who have found enough strength to put themselves before everything that has happened to them and continue living.
survive away from home
For this they count on the association with the help of Marianna and psychological support group. Marianna had to leave Ukraine in March 2022 to take refuge with her two daughters in Dénia. She lived in kyiv working as a psychologist, until everything exploded. In Dénia she intersperses her family life with the great help she offers with her group in the association and the Spanish classes she attends. Classes that bear fruit, because less than a year later they allow us to maintain a completely fluid conversation while at the headquarters they continue to prepare everything for the demonstration the following afternoon.
She tells us how difficult the first days were, but also how grateful she is to have found her place in Dénia. "Everything is close here", she answers, amused, when asked what surprised her the most about life here. Accustomed to journeys by car of more than three hours in the daily routine of a city like kyiv, the proximity and tranquility of the Marina Alta It is one of the things that he has been most grateful for.
But not the only one. Marianna declares herself a great lover of the culture of her host town, highlighting her literature, music and architecture. But also the climate, the gastronomy, the sea, the parties... and the people. The neighbors were not expected to turn so much to them and they were so aware of what was happening in the Ukraine. "I did not imagine such a welcome or that there were so many people willing to help."
In addition, she is very satisfied that her daughters have been able to fit in school, where they have made friends and not only have they learned Spanish, but they are beginning to defend themselves with Valencian.
Of course, this does not mean that he does not dream of being able to return to his home. But, as Marianna says, “it is important to continue”, and get to enjoy the joys. One of these, about which she speaks visibly emotionally, is her upcoming visit in April from her mother, whom she has not been able to see since her life was turned upside down.
Marianna's is one of many stories that she has witnessed Vira since she decided with her husband to get together with other Ukrainian people to see if they could help. And as much as they could.
The reaction of the Ukrainian residents in Dénia after the invasion
Vira tells us very excited about everything that has been going through the process. She carries 23 years living in Spain, so it has been a great lifesaver for his compatriots who arrived without knowing very well what they were up against.
«The people of Dénia have turned to us». And it is true that they feel grateful, but they still face several obstacles so that the refugees can rebuild their lives here. One of these pitfalls is bureaucracy. He affirms that they follow waiting for the help of €400 from European funds which in the Valencian Community have not yet been distributed. He hopes that by the end of March they will already be able to have them.
But the great problem that the refugees are encountering is an old acquaintance of ours: access to housing. Private prices are putting them in serious trouble. And not only the monthly payments, but they are required to work contracts that they do not have in most cases and unaffordable bonds. In this regard, they are very saddened by the lack of social housing in Dénia, and especially the enormous amount of empty houses owned by banks. They do not ask to be given anything, just to be given the opportunity to live without disproportionate costs.
Vira tells us about a specific case that makes him particularly sad, that of a colleague from the association with an 8-year-old boy and heart problems who look for a studio in the city where you can live. The prices of what he finds are excessive, so he has taken advantage of the interview to make a call for anyone who knows a house with these characteristics to contact the association.
It is talking about the children when Vira can no longer hold back the tears. “It is the people who will raise Ukraine again”, he assumes, which is why much of his work focuses on educating them and keeping them in touch with their roots. At the beginning they were the ones who suffered the most, but also those who have managed to adapt faster and establish relationships in their schools. "It's nice to see them smile again."
A dream: create a small Dénia in Ukraine
They have created their little Ukraine in Dénia, where so many people feel linked to their country again. A space where, however, not only courses are given, but also where they are carried out. big projects to help those here, and those there.
The next objective of the association is the purchase of an ambulance to be able to send to Ukraine to treat the wounded. To achieve this, they have now launched the sale of cloth bags made by themselves, which can be purchased at their headquarters (Paseo del Saladar, 91). They also accept donations from individuals and companies in the Dénia Ukraine Help Association account (ES28-0019-0110-594010041146), indicating the name and surname in an email to your email address: info@uadenia.org.
But these are projects to be able to put needs before. What Vira really dreams of is that, once the war is over, society, the business community and the Dianense administration once again display their solidarity and collaborate to rebuild a school in some destroyed village in Ukraine for their children. A small granite, he points out, so that somewhere in the Ukraine there is also a small Dénia.
