On April 14, I'll be heading to Ukraine for a 6-month humanitarian journey,
hoping to make an even bigger impact on the ground there.
***Note: no donor funds will be used for any of my personal expenses***
Let's all step up to do our part to help the most vulnerable victims
of this war get through this challenging time!
Update, 4.3.24: I'm planning on getting an apartment in Kharkiv, a city in northeast Ukraine with pre-war population of 1.4 million. Unfortunately, because of its close proximity to the Russian border, it's been getting hit hard lately, especially its power plants. Electricity is being rationed, and they've had to prematurely turn off the central steam heating service for the season.
Still, the approximately 900,000 people still living there continue to persevere. If they can do it, I figure there's no reason why I can't either. I'm still determined to make every effort to stay there for the duration of the trip.
Geographically, Kharkiv is the best city to be based out of to serve the heavily impacted towns and villages which are most in need of assistance. Staying in Kyiv would likely be safer and provide a more comfortable lifestyle day to day, but it's too long of a drive to make regular trips to the previously occupied areas.
Update, 4.29.24: Annie (my 11 year-old Springer Spaniel, AKA "HumanitariAnnie") and I have been working for almost 2 weeks now, making deliveries of humanitarian aid, and also networking with other NGO's (nonprofits) in the Kharkiv and Kyiv areas. I've finally settled into an apartment near the center of Kharkiv, which is a real treat after living out of suitcases during all of our prior trips here. I can actually cook healthy meals, instead of relying on a steady diet of gas station burgers!
The electricity situation is here erratic, but doable. Lately, we've had scheduled power outages from about 9 AM - 1 PM pretty much every day. I'm generally gone during those hours anyway, so it hasn't had a big impact on us yet. However, that may change in the future, as Russia intends to completely annihilate Ukraine's power generation and distribution capabilities. Due to the dithering by House leadership and the refusal to put Ukraine aid up for a vote until recently, the Russians have been able to hit Ukraine's energy infrastructure pretty hard. Let's hope the new air defenses get here soon, as they're sorely needed. That being said, I have no illusions about what the future holds. I've purchased a large power bank to charge a number of rechargeable LED lamps, my laptop, etc. and have a backup propane camping stove so I can at least have a warm meal and coffee if things get worse. Here's hoping for the best...
When it was time to head home at the end of our last trip to Ukraine in December, I felt a strong calling to stay longer and continue helping out however I could. So now, the desire to head back has turned into a concrete plan.
With the help of a generous local donor, we'll be renting a cargo van in Ukraine, which will assure that we'll have the required reliable transportation to help out wherever there's a need. Over the many months we've worked there, we've developed a network of contacts with other NGO's (non-governmental organizations) that we can assist as needed.
With US support flagging at the moment, the need for assistance is as great as it's ever been. If you truly care about the human tragedy that goes on every day in the impacted areas, this is your chance to actually make a difference. By following our journey on this site and on social media, you'll see the DIRECT IMPACT your donation is making!
More news to follow as final planning takes place - in the meantime, you can show the world you care by donating to help us have the biggest impact possible!