A photo of a line of empty strollers has gone viral, because it reminds us just how important the village is. Residents dropped the strollers off at a train station in Poland last week, so Ukrainian mothers fleeing war with their children would have them when they arrived. Photographer Francesco Malavolta captured the image, and shared it on Twitter. Translated to English, the caption of his tweet says “Strollers left at the station for women arriving from Ukraine with babies. ❤️”
Passeggini lasciati in stazione per le donne in arrivo dall'Ucraina con neonati. ❤️
— Francesco Malavolta (@MalavoltaF) March 3, 2022
Foto copyright F.Malavolta#RussiaUkraineConflict #ukraine #WWIII #photojournalism pic.twitter.com/rlmXzqkIN0
Placed there by Polish moms, the strollers bear no instructions. Those who have fled Putin’s invading army without much more than the clothes on their backs and the babies in their arms know what they’re for. But these strollers do so much more than provide a place for persecuted children to sit. They declare compassion, solidarity and give the gift of acknowledgement to those parents stepping off a train with relief, but also heavy with uncertainty. They are prepared for nothing, so the strollers are everything.
For many of us, a trip to the bus stop without a stroller seems like an impossible task. Armed with snacks, juice cups, stomp rockets and a change of clothes just in case our little ones get dirty, we prepare for every possible scenario. So did parents in Ukraine a mere few weeks ago. Now, empty strollers stand sentinel along the platform for mothers and caregivers arriving to Poland—many who have travelled for days in fear for their lives—as war refugees from Ukraine.
Moms in Poland left their strollers for Ukrainian moms that might need them.
— Oleksandra Zubal 🇺🇦 (@OleksandraZubal) March 6, 2022
Poland, we appreciate your help a lot. 🇵🇱🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/tvmMUTYAoS
The image of strollers at Przemyśl Główny (Main station) Poland that’s now gone viral was captured by photojournalist Malavolta, who has reported on migrant issues at European borders since 2011. His bio reads “He gathers info and never takes anything for granted in order to convey his idea of migrations: a constant flow of people who may lose their names and identity dissolving in the crowd. His ultimate goal is telling stories through simple images.”
According to UNICEF, the Russian invasion of Ukraine “has sparked massive population displacement that could soon constitute one of Europe’s largest refugee crises since the Second World War. Half a million children have already fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries, with the number of refugees continuing to grow.”
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