Charity Run Supporting Refugees in Odesa
A charity run titled "Home — where we are" was held this morning in Taras Shevchenko Park in Odesa. The event was dedicated to World Refugee Day, which is celebrated on June 20. This was the first such event since the onset of the full-scale invasion. There were no age restrictions, so both children and adults participated.
According to the organizers, over one hundred people attended the event. Participants included locals, representatives of NGOs and charity funds, displaced persons, members of the Afghan community, and refugees.
Registration began at 8:00 AM. The run commenced after a moment of silence to honor those lost in the war. The distance covered was 2.2 kilometers.
One of the participants, Tetiana, a displaced person from the temporarily occupied left bank of the Kherson region, explained her involvement: "Whenever I see announcements about events for displaced persons, I don't even hesitate — I just go. It's like a calling of the heart, and I always show up because I see people who understand me."
Mirza Mohd Ahmad, a representative of the Afghan community, shared that he decided to join the run because he was once a refugee himself and now holds Ukrainian citizenship. "We know what war is, what it means to leave your home, and we want to support all Ukrainians," he stated.
Anastasia Didik, a member of the NGO "April Tenth", mentioned that the goal of the event is to unite people and draw attention to the issue of forced displacement globally.
