A simple day.... not...

After failing to register my residence status with the Lviv authorities due to an air raid alert, as they aren't allowed to work, we thought we'd set off a day early to get a good start. A relatively simple 4- hour drive with no pressure.

Unfortunately, things don't always work out that way. A situation arose around the collection of the MAD evacuation unit aid bus from Ternopil, whose engine gave up the ghost whilst we were driving it to Odesa a couple of months ago. The engine required a complete rebuild, which has been brilliantly repaired by the Ternopil charity, "Wheels for Victory" 

At no cost to the MAD organisation, with funds raised by UK4UA and Wheels for Victory (Shaun and Yaroslav deserve a particular mention), the van, that was either going to be sold for spares or face a long period off the road, is now back in action, with aid runs planned. The problem was that the MAD organisation wanted the van back today, although not all of the work had been completed. Also, there were issues around who was going to use the van.

We had to make a detour to Ternopil, where the situation was resolved and the van is once more available to carry out it's work. I drove it briefly and the engine was much better than previously.

I'm so impressed with the mechanics and backroom staff that made this possible. The small aid organisations here often run with limited funds and there's a lot of pressure. Misunderstandings occur. It's the nature of the work here. But, in the end, all have a goal: to support Ukraine as best they can. And it was sorted...but I feel at a cost.

Tomorrow is another day...the journey continues, with an early start and a 9-hours journey.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Back in Ukraine...

Image
I returned to Ukraine 4 days ago, after a 4 months break. I'm living in Lviv for now...back to the beginning of this journey. Bob is planning to travel here next month, depending on his health. Our last few months in Odesa, when we took aid to Kherson, and experienced missile attacks and shells, took its toll on our physical and psychological health, and relationship. Kherson is even more dangerous and I don't have the will to return, at present. Brave people continue to take aid to frontline regions and/or remain living there, enduring continued shelling that leads to deaths and injuries every day. Two days ago (Friday morning) Russia launched a double missile attack on a residential area in Odesa, which killed 21 people and wounded at least 75. A paramedic and 2 emergency workers were killed in the second strike, after having rushed to the scene. This attack coincided, cynically, with the start of the sham presidential election in Russia and illegal elections in the four part
Read more

Back in England...

Image
....where it has been cold and wet for 2 months; but a few days after our return has seen the arrival of an "Indian summer." It's the time of heather on the moors, reminding us of how beautiful our other home is, as well as Ukraine. It has been really good to catch up with family and friends, and with the Ukrainians we helped to settle under the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme last year. Some have returned to Ukraine, but many have been here a year or longer. The majority of those who stayed are independent now, with jobs and their own rented accommodation. Their children are doing well, in the village school and Park High School in Colne. Yesterday was the turn of one of the families in our house, who moved ino a rented cottage in Trawden. We helped them a little, with a few items from our house and ferrying things over in our car. But most of the support came from the local community, which rallied around with offers of furniture, pots and pans, etc. We
Read more

Endings...

Image
We are frequently asked about how long we will remain in Ukraine, doing the work we do. We have lived in Ukraine for 1 year and 4 months, and we've been driving and delivering aid since September 2022. When we leave has never been an easy question to answer but, finally, we have one. Endings are never easy, especially when leaving a country and people you have grown to love. This, despite the huge challenges of living in a war zone, and the corruption and inequality that were present before Russia's full invasion, which continue. We always said that we would find it very difficult to do another winter here. Last winter was so hard, with Russia's constant attacks on infrastructure, towns and cities plunged into darkness, the extreme cold, and driving in snow and ice. We think this southern area has become more dangerous and that, unfortunately, this will only worsen as winter approaches. Terrorism, in it's many forms, will be Putin's main tool, whether it's bombi
Read more