As of September 12, 2023, there were 27 million border crossings documented from Ukraine to other countries since the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022. The primary destination of the refugees was Poland.

Ven. Master Cheng Yen urged that assistance for refugees should not be delayed. It was imperative to provide a sense of security and stability for the distressed Ukrainian refugees and to ensure timely aid for women and children fleeing the conflict.

On February 28, 2022, the Tzu Chi Foundation contacted former Tzu Chi Da Ai TV reporter Chang Shu-Erh in Poznań, Poland. On March 1, 2022, Tzu Chi initiated a global fundraising campaign “Love and Compassion for Ukraine”. On March 5, 2022, the first aid distribution took place in Poznań conducted by Chang and her husband at the municipal office, benefiting 150 individuals.

On April 3, 2022, Tzu Chi volunteers distributed gift cards and eco-friendly blankets at a Lublin shelter, benefiting 62 refugees, warming both their bodies and hearts. (Photo provided by Tzu Chi Foundation; Lublin, Poland; 2022/04/3)

Since then, Tzu Chi has carried out numerous relief efforts for Ukrainian refugees in Poland. Volunteers from 12 countries – including Taiwan, the United States, Turkey, Germany, Austria, France, and the United Kingdom – have brought compassion from supporters worldwide to Poland. They delivered blessings on behalf of Master Cheng Yen and the global Tzu Chi community. The Foundation has collaborated with 11 international humanitarian aid organizations, including UNICEF, to provide counseling, skills training, medical services, daily provisions, warm clothing, and other supplies. Tzu Chi also distributed cash cards and eco-friendly blankets to refugees, serving over 79,000 individuals by November 2022.

As Tzu Chi extends its compassionate outreach, many Ukrainian refugees are participating in the cash-for-relief program and joining its relief work. No longer just recipients of love and care, they too have been inspired to give with compassion. Some are even being trained to become Tzu Chi volunteers and pass on this spirit of compassionate giving in Poland.

On April 30, 2022, the Tzu Chi Foundation partnered with CADIS, a committee of the Catholic Order of Saint Camillus. and signed an MOU to provide joint humanitarian aid in Poland and Ukraine. Notable attendees included Jose Ignacio Santaolalla Saez, CADIS President (in the center of the left frame), and Fr. Aristelo Miranda, CADIS Executive Director (in the right of the left frame), alongside Tzu Chi Foundation CEO Po-Wen Yen (in the center of the right frame). (Photo provided by Tzu Chi Foundation; Hualien, Taiwan; 2022/04/30)

From 2023, Tzu Chi volunteers in Warsaw, Poland, in partnership with the Daj Herbatę Foundation, have been visiting the surrounding areas of Warsaw Central Station on the first Monday of every month; they have been distributing food to the homeless, helping both Ukrainian and Polish individuals. Volunteers prepare vegetarian sandwiches, seizing the opportunity to promote a vegetarian diet. Hundreds of homeless people await food distribution in front of the station, keeping volunteers continuously engaged in packing supplies.

Tzu Chi volunteers in Warsaw, Poland partnered with the Daj Herbatę Foundation to distribute food near Warsaw Central Station to both Ukrainian and Polish people who live on the streets. (Photo provided by Tzu Chi Foundation; Warszawa Centralna, Warsaw, Poland; 2023/08/07)

This is how the spirit of Tzu Chi’s Great Love is gradually expanding in Poland and easing the suffering of those in need. As love continues to spread, we pray for the conflict to end soon so the Ukrainian refugees may return home to peace and safety.