Humans of Odesa
THE VOLUNTEER HEROES
"When the war started, we were all very scared. It was a shock for all of us. The shock lasted for two days. But we were not only shocked, we were also trying to figure out the way out of this situation.
So we came to the thought that we have to do something. The idea of making nets wasn't actually mine, nets are woven in Odessa since 2014 due to annexation of Crimea. I found out from people who did it, how it is done, and within probably two or three hours the issue of the location was resolved and I understood now: We needed to gather people and do this work.
On Facebook, where I have a large circle of friends, I created a post and by the evening I already had six people who said: Yes! We're coming. In the morning my family, my son, my husband bought wood and built these constructions that are behind us and we began working. At first we wove not from good quality fabric, but just from what we could find. We asked people to bring something, some brought old things, some brought some kind of carpets, bedspreads and we used anything we were able to get a hold on.
We are all volunteers here, we work on a free basis. However still - normally we have about 20 people working a day making camouflage nets together to help and protect our brave people protecting our homeland".
"On the 24th February we were woken up by air raid alarms and the horrible war began.
I did not want to leave my city, my homeland. But I understood that we need to help where we can. There were so many soldiers injured in hospitals and I decided to support the injured. Every day I go to pharmacies and companies to get urgently needed medicines. I pick them up by car and bring them to hospitals. We have received so much help from Europa, financially and also medically. And I want to thank all of them for the support. And we want to kindly ask to not stopping this support.
Please don’t forget us Ukrainians who are here to keep fighting against Russia for the freedom of Europe".
Sofia - volunteer
"My wish for the future is that people will live better, that we will all live in peace. That we do our best for not just ourselves but for everybody. That we have good friends from other countries and we will work and live together to make the whole life in the world to be better because all of us are a part of the world.
There is no place for war here, no place for kidnapping, damage or violence".
Volunteer at UAO
"I've worked in the humanitarian space before in South Sudan and in other countries. Nobody has expected and comprehend what was going to happen at the end of Februray 2022 in Ukraine.
I went to Ukraine shortly after the start of the war for helping the vulnerable people.
I really love my job - it is very fulfilling, I love to meet with local people and civilians and to see and to support the work that they are doing in helping their neighbors and their families and friends in need. For me it is a privilege to work alongside my Ukrainian colleagues and Ukrainian communities as they face these big challenges and as they rise to these very big challenges.
In Mykolaiv we have helped lots of IDPs (internally displaced people). Many of them have fled from Russian forces and in that process they have lost their access to their legal identities and therefore also no access to humanitarian aid. Crossing checkpoints also becomes harder. We have worked with local partners and government authorities to process the documents of internally displaced people. We have helped more than 100 people. It is just a drop in the bucket but for those 100 people it makes a huge difference".
Felicity Gray - Nonviolent Peaceforce
" I am part of the medical team in Odesa. I help with patients physical assessments. I also deliver medical care- For instance if there's a wound that needs attending to then we address it. We will come back each day if need to take care of it and until it's healed up. We're trying to fill a need that we recognized and that is trying to deliver Health Care to people who have very little access to it or they are unable or very difficult for them to receive.
I have a military background, I am a retired lieutenant colonel from the Air Force. My medical background is trauma, critical care and combat nurse.
For me it is so important to help people. I mean it's as simple as that: People deserve a chance to live a better and a healthier life. It really became apparent to me when this unnecessary conflict came about and people needed help. I had made lots of friends in Ukraine prior. And when one of friends is in need: You help!
Since then I am helping here: I've got skills that Ukraine urgently needs. That is why I am now in Ukraine".
Jonathan - medical team, UAO
"I worked in technology for 25 years. That's how I knew Odesa. And when the war started I said: Well, I got to do something to help so I started helping some local charities just delivering food and started to see a lot of people. And the more people I saw the more I saw a need just like technology. You see a need and you try to fill that need. The need was that people need medical attention. When we started, we noticed that many people were really sick and they can't even get out of their houses properly. So we decided to go to their houses and visit these people that can't go to a hospital or a clinic and so I called in my friend from Italy who's a doctor and we started doing medical visits. That was the Genesis at the beginning of it.
Due to the war a lot of doctors have left the country a lot of people have been displaced from the East so they're in the west where we are so these towns these Villages like where we are right now are overflowing with IDPs with refugees and not enough medical personnel to take care of them.
We go directly to the homes to the vulnerable people. So far - there are no other organization that is doing that! That means that our service is fairly unique. And our services are critically needed!".
Michael Scolari (co-founder of UAO, Ukraine Assistance Organization)
"I am a ballet soloist of the Odesa National Academy Opera. On the day of the 24th February 2022 - when the war started - my life in the theather abruptly changed. On the first day of the war, I stayed with my child and husband in Odesa. There was panic due to constant explosions in the city. We had nowhere else to go so we stayed in Odesa. Part of the reason that I stayed was also that my husband was willing to stay and protect the city.
It was really tough for my little child. There were constant alarms and we ran down to the bomb shelter regularly. Since my child was with me, I was in constant conflict and ready to leave Odesa immediately to protect my child.
Life has never returned back - it is difficult to understand and grasp the concept of war, all the emotions and how you explain all of this to your child".
Kateryna Burdik
"In the morning of the 24th February, I woke up because my room was in a red fire. A rocket was hitting something just five meters away from my window. It was awful! My family and me immediately fled to Romania and we stayed there the first four months.
I used to have an interior design company with 15 employees. Most of them left the country already. I am rebuilding the company but it is just not the same anymore as before the war. We try to survive day by day and looking forward to going back to normal life. It is very hard but we try! We believe in that and that we will win this war! That the people from Europa will help us to win this war.
Now I also collect money for different organizations and hospitals, for people who have lost their house, for children who lost their parents and their entire childhood. People from Ukraine really need help. We are all human beings and we need to help each other to live".
Victoria - interior designer / volunteer
"I worked in an educational center especially for children with special needs. Those are children with cerebral paralysis or with autism or Down Syndrome. Not long ago, our school was destroyed. Our country is now at war and it will be very difficult for us to rebuild the school.
Especially for our children, it is very difficult for them in society without our school because the schools are mainly for children to learn, to socialize, to adapt in society and when they do not have such support, they do not study at our school, it is very difficult for them to simply find their place in life. That is why I have a great request for people who help us to rebuild schools and protect our children.
We really hope that the war will end soon in our country, we are very much looking forward to the liberation of our cities.
I really hope that we will be able to return to our homes, to our families, and to our jobs again. That our children will be able to study. I have no one anymore, my son also left [to the front line]. Let’s wait to return to go home soon!"