Indian restaurant 'Saathiya' in Kyiv becomes a shelter for the stranded

An unprecedented crisis has struck Ukraine and in such times, an Indian restaurant in its capital city of Kyiv has won hearts for turning into a makeshift shelter for hundreds of people stranded in the country.

The restaurant is owned by Gujarat-born Manish Dave, 52, who has opened the doors of hope to many Kyiv residents looking to flee the country.

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The Indian restaurant ‘Saathiya’ is located in the basement of Chokolivskyu Boulevard. It was started for Indian students studying in Ukraine, and after the war broke out, it has become a safe house for anyone who wants a hot meal and shelter.

Dave told The Washington Post that he would serve the people "as long as he can". He also spread the word through messaging app Telegram inviting people to take shelter in his restaurant. “Dear friend from India or any nation, our restaurant is in the basement and it's a safe place to stay in this situation. If you don't have a proper safe place to stay during this time, please go here, we will try our best to arrange free food and stay according to our capacity. Stand united with Ukraine,” his message read.

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“We have been keeping stock of ration left with us. We have rice and flour to last 4-5 days, but we need to buy vegetables and other items. There are restrictions on movement between 10 pm and 7 am,” Dave was quoted as saying by Times of India.

During times of war, Dave hopes to help as many people as possible.

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