One month ago, we awoke in a different world; for a month, a war has raged right here in Europe. Millions of Ukrainians have been displaced: women, children, and elderly people who have been forced to leave their homes for an uncertain length of time. However, in these dark times, the tremendous wave of solidarity and aid is a source of light.<\/p>\n
We, too, are committed to doing our part. GlobalSprachTeam is therefore now hosting and supporting two Ukrainian families. One of the families consists of a mother, a grandmother, and a one-year-old. The other family is made up of a grandmother and her granddaughters, aged nine and 14. The nine-year-old is back in school, she has been placed in an integrative class. The 14-year-old is receiving remote schooling from Ukraine. The mother of the one-year-old hopes that soon he will be able to smile at his father in person and not just over the phone. Both families dream of returning home.<\/p>\n
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Amidst all this, we received a heart-breaking message from one of our long-time translators in Russia. His words, which we have printed below, offer a glimpse into his current situation. For his safety, we have removed all personal and identifiable information:<\/p>\n
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Dear GlobalSprachTeam,<\/em><\/p>\n It\u2019s quiet here, but any reasonable person understands that that is only temporary. But: I am a freelance translator. An end to trade and relations means an end to translation work.<\/em><\/p>\n I have never supported Putin and all the wretched dogs now committing heinous crimes. I have never cast my ballot for those scoundrels. I have never supported their actions in Crimea and the like. I have always been and I remain against the war and these awful events. There are no words in any language to describe how I feel about these people and their actions. Not only are they waging war against the Ukrainian people, but against their own people, too. We Russians are bound to pay a terrible price for this.<\/em><\/p>\n