When the Ukraine Crisis Became Ours

Excerpt from the Jamaica Observer column published on Monday, March 7, 2022

By Jean Lowrie-Chin

As our Jamaican students in the Ukraine posted about their fears of an impending invasion by Russian forces, we became fully engaged, moved by appeals, interviews with their tearful parents, their hazardous journey to Ukraine and finally, their arrival in Montego Bay last Wednesday. Many of us had no idea that there were so many Jamaican medical students in Ukraine; they explained that one year’s fee at The University of the West Indies (UWI) would cover them for six years in Ukraine.

There were a few glitches in the initial communication between government officials and the students as the offer of a loan for transportation was met with howls of objections from the public. However, Foreign Affairs Minister Senator Kamina Johnson Smith and her ministry officials quickly took hold of the situation, with representatives at Jamaica’s embassy in Berlin keeping in close touch with the students.

We followed them as they travelled on the train to a town close to the Polish border, then on a bus which was forced to turn back. Consequently, they had no choice but to walk the remaining seven miles in the freezing weather to Poland.

Denise Sealy, chargé d’affaires at the Jamaican Embassy in Berlin, Germany, along with a Friends of Jamaica group welcomed them with hot meals and a heated bus. We held our collective breaths until we heard they had landed on Jamaican soil. What joy for the students, their parents, and for Jamaica!

Jamaica Observer staff reporter Horace Hines, who was on hand for their arrival in Montego Bay, wrote: “Shortly after arriving at the airport, Matthew DeSilva, an engineering student, expressed gratitude to the Ukrainians and solidarity with the Eastern European country.”

He quoted DeSilva: “I can only speak for myself right now. We entered Ukraine to study. We were welcomed by the Ukrainians. I also want to make this point clear to everybody, we wouldn’t have left the country without the Ukrainians. I mean, people whose sons are dying, whose fathers are dying, whose brothers are dying had no right to aid us, yet they did. We got so many lifts, there was food provided for us, and they didn’t have to do it, especially when their country is being destroyed right now.”

The alumnae of Convent of Mercy Academy “Alpha” are relieved that fellow alumnae Shavell Peart, Shenae Douglas, and Jada Comrie are safely back in Jamaica. Our alumnae associations here and in North America are rallying to offer support.