The Toy Bridge Between Ukraine and Romania
For the children who run from war, a feeble reason to smile.
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Life has killed the dreams they dreamed.
Forced to leave their whole world behind, while running from bombs that threaten to kill everything they’ve ever known and loved, some children end up on this bridge that links Ukraine and Romania.
Each child who comes from Ukraine can stop and pick up one of the toys they find on this pedestrian bridge. They enter the country with something to cling to.
The initiative belongs to the Romanian border police officers who supervise the crossing between Solotvino (Ukraine) and Sighetu Marmației (Romania).
The toys aren’t just brought by the officers, but also by Romanian children and volunteers who are there to guide the Ukrainian refugees once they enter our country.
Kids are also offered sweets and fruits while waiting at the check-in points. They smile when handed the treats, while their mothers only speak with their eyes.
Meanwhile, Putin celebrates eight years since they did the same thing to Crimea, with a live concert that over 200,000 people (are forced to) attend.
Now that’s a strange world we live in.
There are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather
I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I’m living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream
I dreamed
(Anne Hathaway— I Dreamed A Dream)
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