There are some very special people in this world who just can not sit back and observe other people suffer. These people are plentiful in Ukraine and have been supporting the country’s fight against the ruthless foe since the 2014 invasion. They are called Volunteers.
During our recent visit to Ukraine we were fortunate to spend almost every day in a company of multiple volunteers. They drove us around the Kyiv region, showed us the brutal destruction that engulfed the area on 24-Feb-2022, and patiently explained the intricate details of occupation, liberation and the on-going healing of people, communities, infrastructure and nature.
Each volunteer has his / her own way of getting involved in the movement, but there is a common thread to all of their stories. They were able to channel their anger, fear and frustration into a positive energy to help hundreds of previously unknown to them fellow countrymen. These remarkable people had reached a simple decision: “I will do what I can right now and will not waste my time on anything that I’m unable to do.”
On 24-Feb-2022 Taras Chernov, an international tour guide, became unemployed as a result of the russian invasion. A month later, Taras and a neighbor saw a news report about devastation in the recently liberated towns of Irpin and Bucha. The two men packed their shovels, drove to the area and helped the residents to clear up the rubble. While working, they learned that the locals have not eaten bread for weeks! The guys pulled together some money, purchased foodstuffs in a Kyiv supermarket and brought it where it was badly needed.
Then there was a drive to get warm clothing, baby formula and many other things for the people who had lost most of their possessions. Today, fifteen months later, Taras and his friends are collecting donations to purchase a 4×4 vehicle for a military unit fighting in the East. We happily added our share of cash to this effort.
We have written about the medical volunteers: Dr Natalia (click HERE) and Dr Yuri (click HERE). The importance of their work can not be overstated, yet we were mostly impressed with their quiet dedication and clarity of their mission. They ask only one question: “Can I be of help?” If the answer is affirmative, then they go where they are needed. As you read these words, Dr Natalia is helping victims of massive flooding in the Kherson region. FYI: on 6/6/23, russian invaders detonated tons of explosives underneath the Nova Kakhovka dam, causing death, destruction and ecological disasters all the way to the Black Sea.
Photo on the left: a doctor removes a piece of shrapnel from a leg of a 27 y.o. civilian female. In early June 2023, the woman was shopping in a supermarket when a russian missile destroyed the building. The patient’s left leg had to be amputated.
Suleiman is in his early twenties. He was born in Syria, studied in a Ukrainian university, then moved to Germany along with a million of other Syrian refugees despite the raging civil war. His parents and most of the family have opted to stay in Syria.
As the full-scale invasion of Ukraine became a sudden reality on 24-Feb-2022, Suleiman decided to return to Ukraine and offer his help. Now, Suleiman lives with a distant relative in Kyiv, speaks passable Ukrainian and is applying his sharp business development and language skills to drum up the financial support in W. Europe and organize the logistic channels.
We met in in the center of Kyiv and talked about his life in Ukraine, volunteering work and plans for the future. His interview will be featured in a documentary film called “Reporting from Ukraine”, which is currently in production. You can see the trailer HERE.
A young woman is wearing this patch on her military jacket. Her name is Liz Olegov, she was born in Moscow and grew up in Lithuania. She created a volunteer group right after the start of the 2022 war and named it after Alex, a 21 y.o. Ukrainian woman, who was a victim of human trafficking in W. Europe. Liz spends most of her time delivering aid to the “last mile”, i.e. the mostly-destroyed towns near the battlefront. This is a very dangerous job. Liz travels with a body guard and laughs at the danger.
We interview Liz on our second day in Kyiv. She speaks perfect English and describes her “career path” from a high-flying European influencer to a volunteer in the war-torn Ukraine. She partners with a US-based nonprofit called Ukraine Aid International. Among other things, Liz is responsible for acquiring supplies in Europe and bringing them where they are needed the most.
This unusual shoulder patch is a present from another amazing young woman. The patch is worn by a few dozen Israeli military volunteers who serve in the Ukrainian International Legion. The Hebrew word embroidered on the patch reads “Ukraine”.
Our young lady’s name is Olena Masorina. She is Jewish, a former Member of the Ukrainian Parliament and the founder of a volunteer group called Ukraine World, operating since 2014.
Seemingly, Olena knows everyone and everything in Kyiv. We were extremely lucky that she had graciously agreed to be our “handler”. She was pretty much in charge of our schedule and arranged many of our meetings with the most interesting and inspiring people. We are very thankful to Olena and will talk about her work at length in our documentary.
In conclusion, it is important to say that we could not possibly mention everyone who has been helping Ukraine and its people. Since the start of the 2022 invasion, we have met hundreds of wonderful men and women, who simply can not and will not remain silent as the naked aggression is taking place. We will talk about many of them in the documentary and continue to help them financially!
Героям Слава! Glory to the heroes!