A 17-year-old girl from Haryana, who is studying medicine in Ukraine, has refused to leave the war-torn country in spite of getting an opportunity of being evacuated. The reason? She has decided to stay back and look after the children of her landlord.

© Reuters

With the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, several Indian students who had gone to Ukraine for their studies, have been requesting the government to evacuate them. 

© Reuters

Students all across the country are hiding in metro tunnels and makeshift underground bunkers to stay safe from the incessant bombings from Russian Air Force, and the on-ground movement of Russian Tanks and the army.

One Savita Jhakar took to Facebook and shared an anecdote about a 17 year old medical student from Haryana, who has been identified as Neha.

© Facebook/Savita Jhakar

In spite of getting numerous advisories to leave the country and that a war was imminent, Neha decided to stay back and take care of a family with whom she was staying while she was pursuing her bachelor’s degree. 

© Reuters

Several Ukrainians have joined the armed forces to defend their nation against the invading Russian forces. So, the head of the family, with whom Neha was staying, also went to join the Ukrainian armed forces, leaving behind his wife, and 3 young children. 

© Reuters

A student of MBBS, Neha rented a room at the home of a construction engineer in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, as she could not get hostel accommodation.

When the war finally broke out Neha decided that instead of leaving for Romania like most other students and her batchmates, she would stay back and help the wife and the children of her landlord, in any way she can. Plus, because she is a medical student, she can be of help in other areas as well.

© Reuters

Savita, who is in Copenhagen, maintained that Neha’s family members and acquaintances have been trying to convince her to return to India, but she has plainly and firmly refused to do so.

© Reuters

Neha went to Ukraine last year when she secured her admission to a medical college there. A few years prior that, she had lost her father, who was in the Indian Army.

“I may live or not, but I will not leave these children and their mother in such a situation,” Neha told her mother, who is a  teacher based in Haryana’s Charkhi Dadri.

View the full article