Volunteers...

The news of the deaths of seven volunteers working with World Central Kitchen (WCK) in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza was shocking and sad, and

affected me in a personal way, too. WCK is a charity that's always at the forefront of providing food directly to people caught up in crises, worldwide. WCK was there at the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including at both refugee centres in Krakow, Poland, where Bob and I initially worked (Bob in one of their kitchens). WCK also provided meals for internally displaced people in Ukraine - the centre in Striskyi Park, where we were based for several months - and volunteers also provided meals to communities on the frontline.

The deaths of these incredibly brave people in Gaza is also a reminder of the risks of volunteering in a war zone, and of the aid workers who have been killed in Ukraine, including those targetted in a Russian airstrike on an aid convoy transporting refugees from the Zaporizhzhia region in 2022, some of whom were known to our volunteer friends.

I know that I'm volunteering in a much safer way now, which feels OK. Ukrainians really value the support of foreign volunteers, maybe more so now that the war is dragging into a third year and support from the West/USA no longer seems to be guaranteed. And, because I have more time and stability,  I've finally got around to learning Ukrainian, 1-1 online, and in a bi-weekly conversation class, provided free by a voluntary organisation, "Among Nations Lviv."

I've got into a pattern, mostly, of going to the camouflage netting centre in the morning and the Frontline Kit hub in the afternoon.

The name of the camo netting centre is “By_porokhova,” named after the gunpowder tower in Lviv, where they were first based. Most of the volunteers are Ukrainian, mostly women, young and old, with a few foreign volunteers who come and go. There's a lot of chatter and sometimes music.

When a large room length of netting is completed, everyone stops to sing the national anthem whilst the netting is rolled, which is quite moving. Often, two of the foreign volunteers are chosen to roll the netting. I was honoured on one occasion. This time it was two French volunteers, who were leaving Ukraine shortly due to work commitments. Florence said she hoped to return in September. She was given a T-shirt as a parting gift.

In addition to making energy bar, I've just learnt how to make camouflage helmet covers...

Boxes of chicken jerky, energy bars and drinks were sent out to military units at the end of the week, now with a little picture and a message from the volunteers who made them!

At Sunday morning's English Speaking Club the group had chosen to talk about a favourite artist or work of art, whether painting, architecture singing or literature. It was another interesting discussion, including Klimt, Van Gogh, Pavlak, Shevchenko, Auden and electronic progressive fusion music.

Bob returned to Lviv yesterday,(Sunday). We have a lot to think about and discuss after more than 5 months' separation, including our future and how we can be useful during this period in Ukraine. Bob may be taking on a different role from me and will, no doubt, say more about this.

It's lovely weather across Ukraine, but not if your house has been shelled...

...Kherson Oblast, 1 April.

This was a distressing message from one of our volunteer contacts in Kherson. She looks after abandoned pets...

31.03.2024

Every day [in] KHERSON somebody die from Russian bombs...every day...I'm stress to much...died more then half my family...[I cannot] more stay there...

Just my animals...26 dogs I have now plus 25 cats...I cannot leave them.

But I'm tired...tooo much...sometime wanna close eyes and never don't open...

And this is Lviv - what every city in Ukraine should look like on a sunny Spring afternoon...