Show support for Ukraine
You have returned from helping a charity on the Poland/ukraine boarder. What prompted you to go?
Like many people, I watched the news each day in horror as events unfolded and desperately wanted to do something practical.
Around four weeks into the conflict I heard that a friend who was posted in Poland was spending every available moment on the border helping Ukrainians.
I was just in a fortunate position where, with no dependants, I could just up sticks and go out there for a week to help however I could.
• What did you do while you were there?
Most days I was based at the refugee centre in Przemyśl. Around 1,500 women and children arrived daily. From there they needed to formulate a plan as to where there were going to spend the foreseeable future.
The first time I walked into the centre I was utterly overwhelmed with the sadness of the situation: woman and children having to leave their husbands, sons, brothers and dads behind to fight, while they started a new life for who knows how long.
There was a room for them to sleep and rest, but there weren’t enough sheets and no cleaning facilities. People were living out of bags and had to sleep on used sheets.
Every day was different. One day I actually went over the border to Ukraine with coats and warm clothing for infants and children. People were dying in the border queue due to the extreme temperatures.
I interviewed one volunteer who was working at a makeshift kitchen who had witnessed babies turning black with hypothermia/ frostbite.
It was horrific. Unbearable.
• How have you felt since you got back?
I’ll be honest; it has taken some time to be able to talk about it without my emotions getting the better of me.
To combat the sadness I try and focus on the positives – the incredible band of volunteers giving up their time to help in any way they can.
I am blessed to have met some of the most incredibly selfless people.
There were no Non-governmental
Organisations (NGOS) when I was there, so while people might assume that the Red Cross or Unicef would have it all swept up, it was in fact university students, costume designers, caterers and shop workers who were manning the situation as best they could.
I returned counting my blessings. We are so lucky that we don’t face such horrors in our country.
• Was there anything that you found especially hard?
So many of the stories I heard. They will stay with me for a lifetime.
• How can people support the charities you worked with?
Please, please; if you can offer support there are some people doing incredible work out there, including MAD Foundation.
Their Operation Safedrop sees people bravely entering Ukraine to rescue those who can’t make it out under their own steam – www.madfoundation.com
Also, Sarah, my friend, is doing incredible work at the border – gofund.me/ c0804448