Letter from Ukrania

I suggest these words to you -

"Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful" - Paulo Freire

February 1999

Dear Friends,

Your friends, Sergei and family, greet you sincerely and warmly with all our very best wishes. Thank you very much for your letter with the photograph. It is very beautiful. Thank you for not forgetting us. Thank you all the more that you are still our friends. We are very glad that you are well, that your grandson is growing tall and strong. May God grant you health and happiness. We pray for you.

What can I write about myself? We are as yet still alive and well. The children are growing and are at school now. My wife still cannot find work. I am still at the pit. My health is getting worse of course: heavy pit work takes it's toll. Life gets worse with every passing year. Wages still aren't being paid and even if you do get some back-pay it's worth nothing. In our country, work is unpaid. The miners are on strike demanding the money we have earned. There have been cases of self-immolation. One miner in our pit just despaired, poured petrol over himself and set fire to himself - because he had three hungry children at home. In short, we are living in a concentration camp. The worst thing of all is that we have no future. The country is in collapse with unemployment rife.

I spend all my stregth on trying to feed my family. This is an enormous problem and I pray to God that I can just keep my health and strength. And if I cannot work in the pit then my family will face destitution and real starvation. I couldn't bear it. Such are things with us, sadly.

Please write. Do not forget us. We await your letters with great interest. We value your friendship very much - you are like family. We embrace you all. Goodbye! Write, we await your letters.

Sergei