The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Daniel takes unpaid leave to help in Ukraine
A trainee engineer made an emergency trip to buy vital supplies for war victims in Ukraine.
Daniel McGeorge-Oanta (25), who is an engineering apprentice with online retailer Amazon, at Kingston Park, Peterborough was in Moldova on holiday with his wife Lucy, when the conflict erupted on February 24.
The couple had originally planned a one-week long volunteering trip with the Christian Mission International Aid (CMIAID) to Moldova,
which shares a border with Ukraine.
The had expected to be painting and organising props and backdrops for a play on the life of Christian evangelist GeorgeMuller,whichwouldbe showntoschoolchildreninthe surrounding area.
But the day Daniel and Lucy arrived in Moldova, war broke out in Ukraine and a state of emergency was declared and their one week stay became a three-and-ahalf week humanitarian effort with the couple taking unpaid leave to extend their trip.
Daniel said: “The decision to stay was easy. We couldn’t justify leaving when we saw the need of people crossing the border from Ukraine.
"We were in the country to volunteer, and whilst the war is heart-breaking, it was a privilege to be able to serve in Moldova with CMIAID and play a very small part in a worldwide humanitarian effort.”
Tosupportthecharity,Daniel even made an emergency trip to Romania to purchase suppliesincludingtoothbrushes, toothpaste, and hygiene products, as well as participating in the daily food preparation and distribution.
He said: “"There is still so muchmoretobedone,asthose who have chosen to stay longerinUkrainewillundoubtedly need more help due to the increasinglydangeroussituation in their home country.”
The couple, who live in Spalding, are now safely back in the UK but Daniel said: “Lucy and I will be continuing to support CMIAID through donations of food parcels that will be sent out to Moldova by our church, and I am grateful to the Amazon Peterborough teamforallowingmetoextend our stay and contribute what I could to the aid effort.”
Gareth Davies, site leader at Amazon in Peterborough, said: “We commend Daniel’s commitment to volunteering in Moldova when war broke out in Ukraine.”