Aid NOT going to Ukraine

This article is worth reading in full but the salient points are below.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/01/the-informal-volunteer-groups-leading-ukraines-aid-effort

* A recent review, funded by the UK Humanitarian Innovation Hub, concluded that more than £2.15 billion has been donated to Ukraine-related humanitarian response efforts since February, but about 85% is being held by international aid organisations who are "scarcely present in Ukraine and have yet to spend the majority of the money."

* The review found that, despite informal Ukrainian volunteer groups and NGOs providing “virtually all” humanitarian aid, they have received only 0.24% (£5.3 million) of the money donated.

The iniquity of this is why we think it is worth staying here, despite a slowdown in our "Homes for Ukraine" work (due to reduced sponsors). Because a lot of our work now involves making contacts and building relationships with funders in the UK, USA and elsewhere, and finding contacts/pathways for money donated to go directly to where it is needed most. Examples, so far, include water purifiers and boilers to the southern and eastern fronts.

And we are beginning to spend money donated by the 'Leek and Cheddleton Ukraine appeal’ to directly benefit children in the Stryiskyi Park refugee centre where we now work. The children mostly like to play outside so we've bought, so far, badminton rackets, skipping ropes and bouncy balls, as well as some other items.

The donation for children comes via one of the two guys we met from Ambulance Aid in Krakow. Ambulance Aid, itself, is a prime example of aid going directly to recipients - second hand ambulances from the UK driven to Ukraine - we may have seen one on the streets of Lviv today! The ambulances are driven over with humanitarian aid. The next drive over will hopefully include gift sets made up by hospital patients, suitable for arriving refugees, to be dropped off at the Galeria Plaza refugee centre where we worked in Krakow. Connections made again...

We need to say that we are very grateful for some sponsors still coming forward to offer to share their house with a Ukrainian family.  The need for safe accommodation is very great in Lviv, now, with trainloads of refugees arriving every day from the war-ravaged areas of Ukraine.

This morning we said a sad goodbye to Jon, a good friend from our early 'fruit bar' days in Krakow, who is travelling back to the USA to go back to (paid) work. He is one of the world's good guys and a true friend of Ukraine.