Paheja Siririka
Maihapa Ndjavera
After going through gruesome treatment and hurdles trying to flee from Ukraine, Namibian medical students Casey Chimhangwa and Eino Kamukwanyama were the first to safely arrive in the country.
The duo, which managed to escape the war ravaging parts of Ukraine, flew from Poland and arrived in Namibia on Friday at 17h10 to a warm and emotional reception from family and friends at the Hosea Kutako International Airport.
The two friends narrated the ordeal to the media, saying what they went through is not something that should be experienced by anyone and it was not easy to get onto the trains to flee.
“We used trains to Lviv, where reality kicked in. We faced all kinds of stuff there because they were not allowing people of colour onto the trains,” recalled Chimhangwa. The duo, with other Africans, made alternative arrangements to continue their journey to the border and eventually use a taxi.
“We had to make alternatives to continue with the journey to the border, and we took a taxi that dropped us a few kilometres before the border,” he said.
According to him, they had to walk for a few kilometres to the border because of too many cars waiting to cross to Poland, causing a massive traffic jam.
“Upon arrival in Poland, officials were waiting for us and from there, a person could breath different air,” he said.
On being back in the country, he said: “It is warm and exciting to be back home again to my family after days of unforgettable trauma in my life. What’s happening in Ukraine gave me an experience that I never want to go through again.”
The biggest worry for them is to continue with their studies, which seems to be in limbo because of the uncertainty surrounding the situation. The duo is in the final year of medicine.
Kamukwanyama’s wish is for the government to find alternative ways for them to complete their course. “Our university got bombed, so going back is not an option, not anytime soon. The damage to our university is too much. We hope the Namibian government will make a way for us to find other local or international universities for us to continue with our education,” he pleaded.
The international relations ministry in a statement said at the time of the clash in Europe, there were only 89 Namibians in Ukraine and it is understood that the initial number of 114 nationals provided earlier, included those who left Ukraine before the crisis.
“Eighty of them are safe, including one who does not want to reveal her whereabouts, seven are still in Ukraine, while the whereabouts of two are unknown,” revealed the ministry’s executive director Penda Naanda.
He added: “Upon arrival, the Namibian nationals will be taken to Windhoek unless they are met by their family members or friends. In Windhoek, they will be provided with psycho-social support upon request, and accommodation will also be arranged upon request.”
Although Chimhangwa and Kamukwanyama‘s repatriation was self-funded, Naanda said the Namibian embassies in Austria, Germany and Russia are facilitating students’ accommodation, meals, and flight tickets, and the Namibian nationals have started departing to Namibia in groups, depending on the availability of flights.
“The Namibian government will bear all costs related to accommodation, PCR tests, flight tickets, and were necessary personal necessities,” said Naanda.
The trauma the students might be going through has prompted the government and private sector to offer counselling and other psychosocial support. “Arrangements will be made on arrival home to ensure they receive professional services before they are reunited with their families. I cannot tell you when the first person will be arriving,” said international relations minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. She is expected to visit the reception centre, which will accommodate the returning students in Hochlandpark, Windhoek.
Russia on 24 February 2022 launched an operation, arguing that it was defending the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, which broke off from the eastern part of Ukraine in 2014. The tension between Russia and Ukraine has escalated and among those fleeing are over one million Ukrainians, making it Europe’s fastest growing refugee crisis since World War II, the United Nations said yesterday.
With two failed talks between the two states which were held recently, a third one is expected to commence today as Ukraine and Russia agreed to meet again to discuss a potential ceasefire that would allow civilians to evacuate.
-psiririka@nepc.com.na