Four Mozambican students who fled Ukraine arrive back home – O País

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Four Mozambican students who fled Ukraine arrive back home – O País

1:22 CAT | 17 Mar 2022

Photo: O País

Four of the 15 Mozambican students who fled Ukraine following the Russian invasion arrived home yesterday.

It is the end of a long and arduous journey.

These four young women saw the drama of the war up close and managed to escape Ukrainian territory alive.

The intensification of the attacks meant they had to walk several kilometres to reach the Polish border, while their relatives suffered here at home, unable to do much.

Keyla Amado, who was about to complete her studies, was the one who facilitated contact between the government and students in Ukraine.

“I was here on holiday (in Mozambique) when I learned about what was happening to my colleagues studying in Ukraine. It was a complicated process, because they were scattered across the country,” Keyla explained.

“I just want to thank God, the Mozambican government and everyone who has been praying for us,” said Regina, a student who saw the conflict in Ukraine at close quarters.

The young Mozambicans headed to Ukraine to study, but their dream was interrupted.

“Our studies and dreams were interrupted. We ask for support from those in a position to help us continue our studies. I was about to finish, but this situation forced me to stop,” Keyla lamented.

According to the National Institute for Mozambican Communities Abroad, the operation was only possible thanks to the collaboration of students.

Eleven other Mozambicans who were studying in Ukraine are currently in Poland and Finland.

“There was a strong effort from parents and the students themselves to achieve this. We have been working with our embassy in Moscow to guarantee the maximum possible security for students and deliver some reassurance,” said Armando Muiuane, Director of INACE.

Government authorities also appeal to other Mozambicans in the diaspora to register with consulates, so as to help find and assist them in similar cases.

By Emildo Sambo

Source: O País