The Volunteers of Peace
How one grassroots group of local volunteers in Chernihiv is helping rebuild the city and the region. A snapshot of who is providing humanitarian (and military) aid this winter (hint: no fancy logos).
On Friday morning, I received a text message from one of the Ukrainian women in my Telegram group. “Volodymyr from Chernihiv is in Vienna”, she wrote, “but only for one day. Perhaps you might like to meet him?”
Earlier this week, I compiled this list as a starting point for identifying grassroots volunteers and organizations active in Ukraine. I know instinctively these micro groups often with nothing more in the way of PR than an Instagram or Facebook page are single-handedly keeping a huge portion of the Ukrainian population clothed and fed this winter. I know that no matter how challenging things are for many Ukrainians in Europe this winter, the situation on the ground in Ukraine is generally far worse. I know that the budgets of big-name organizations and foreign aid is often wasted on fancy offices, red tape, logos — everything but the help ordinary people really need. Therefore in 2023 I would really like to better understand and share the good word about the volunteer networks keeping civilian (and also parts of the army) Ukraine afloat. I am fascinated by the de-centralized nature, by the image of a huge nation being keep running by a million micro organisations all helping the regions and parts of town even streets they know best. The thousands of volunteers who personally deliver food to the elderly who they know cannot leave their homes anymore. Those who have no time or desire to photograph their efforts. Who just quietly do what they know needs to be done within their means.
I meet Volodymyr and Serhii of the Volunteers of Peace in an overpriced downtown Vienna cafe. They are on they way back to Ukraine, having picked up a load of donations in Prague, driving to Budapest in the late afternoon. They would be home in Ukraine by the following evening. Historically, most of the aid they have received for Chernihiv has come from Poland and Germany. I ask Volodymyr to start at the beginning, and he obliges.
When the war broke out, Chernihiv , a city of 300,000 very close to the borders with Russia and Belarus, suffered horribly. The city itself was completely encircled by the Russians for one and a half months. There was only one road which led from the city to un-occupied Ukraine, and it was extremely dangerous. Serhii tells me volunteers died back then, were killed trying to deliver aid. (This is Tatiana’s story of how she escaped Chernihiv back then, by car, driving through fields)
Volodymyr worked during peacetime in show business, which meant he had an impressive rolodex. When the war started, he and others (they were once 100+ now about 25 regular volunteers) recognised they could contributed to the war effort by jumping in to help locally in their city, on the ground. Everything was made up as they went. Three local restaurant owners turned their kitchens over to the group, and they began cooking meals for Ukrainian soldiers. The group began sourcing what they need for Chernihiv in Europe, and bringing it in, arranging transport and logistics. This ranged(s) from generators to old hospital beds to heart-rate monitors. They have bought used cars and ambulances; they collect used washing machines, fridges, any kind of used white goods they can get there hands on, because demand is huge — many residents of Chernihiv oblast lost their homes entirely when the fighting was so horrific last spring.
Volodymyr works his own contacts for donations and has a network of volunteers in various EU countries which help him source items he can transport back to Chernihiv. Winter clothes from Italy. Baby formula, diapers, baby food, nearly expired medicines. At one point, all the pharmacies in Chernihiv were closed, but one owner gave Volodymyr’s volunteers the keys and said “use it for distribution”. Which they did. The elderly needed medication for heart conditions and blood pressure — Europe throws away medicine that is due to expire soon. In a war zone, that date seems meaningless. So the team became local pharmacists, too.
Dutch police donated 20 police bicycles; volunteers used them to deliver food and basic items to residents across Chernihiv who could not leave their homes. Volodymyr and Serhii estimate of the once population of 300,000, perhaps 200,000 residents remain today. At one point last spring, half the population had fled, but some returned, and Chernihiv like so many parts of Ukraine also saw an inflow of IDPs — refugees from other parts of Ukraine, like Mariupol and other occupied territories. When a vital bridge was hit, the road in and out of Chernihiv was blocked for 3 weeks. A lot of the city’s infrastructure was destroyed last spring by the Russians. For now, things are calm. There are no major industrial targets in the area. I ask about the military exercises in Belarus, and they don’t seem too worried, although Serhii mentions there is still shooting nearly every day in the oblast. Random hits on fields 20 kilometres from the Russian border.
Volodymyr says there are 7-8 homegrown organisations like his Volunteers of Peace in Chernihiv who are helping fulfil both military and civilian needs now. Their main “clients” are refugees from other parts of Ukraine, and those who lost their homes in Chernihiv oblast. They do not buy food, but distribute what they receive to those in need. The young men give me the impression no matter what is donated, they will find the right people to receive it and put it to good use. Sometimes it is something as simple as gifting a local resident a new set of power tools so he can rebuild his home which was destroyed.
Medicine appears to be a big part of their work. They discovered German hospitals were happy to donate large amounts of medication that was due to expire soon for which they would have had to pay a special transport fee to have it disposed of correctly. Some American donors have helped with transportation costs, to pay for gas. Most of the fundraising which has been done went towards military requests (such as used vehicles from Poland and Germany), while the civilian work is primarily distributing donated items. At the moment, Volodymyr says they could really usedthings like used washing machines, any kind of household electronics, even tea kettles, for those rebuilding their homes from zero.
“Perhaps an Austrian fire station might have an old truck? Do I have any connection in hospitals or Pharma? You just have to ask them what they are about to throw away.” His mind races. I admire the speed with which he connects the dots and asks questions. I selfishly wish I had a tenth of his creativity in problem solving and sourcing. But then I remember he said he worked in show business. A producer or promoter is constantly juggling a dozen or more balls in the air. The organised chaos and fast pace feels normal. This all obviously is their new normal now. Both young men are proud of what they have done, but very modest how they describe it. How do you get a German hospital to donate a used heart-rate monitor? How do you arrange transport for dozens of used hospital beds from Germany to Ukraine? It is incredible.
I ask about the official humanitarian response, what if any programs exist within Ukraine for IDPs and those who lost their homes in the war. Not much, they shake their heads. So basically all the vulnerable people of Ukraine are surviving thanks to the good will of volunteers and donors. There is huge need for white goods, building materials. Volodymyr says he can help someone buy a roof for €500, and bricks for another €500, but each window costs €150, even in Ukraine. You can buy building materials locally and the men are rebuilding their own homes, but they need money.
I gently raise the topic of big aid organizations, like the Red Cross. The response is as expected —— total disappointment and shaking of their heads. Fancy offices, large staff with large salaries for Ukraine, nice cars, logos on everything —- doing next to nothing. There are teams charged with “de-mining” funded by a European government. They drive maximum once a week to the fields, the rest of the time the drivers sit in their cars frequenting local restaurants. Big NGOs are doing what big NGOs do around the world, self-promotion and self-enrichment, while the local organizations staffed by real volunteers in the truest sense of the word are doing the heavy lifting.
I ask about the local economy. How are people not starving this winter? “They somehow survive. There is work for those who are prepared to do any kind of work to get by.” They estimate 60% of the population is genuinely poor, middle class about 30%, and the wealthy a minority, most of whom I assume were the first to leave. The Volunteers of Peace have done everything this winter from delivering a huge amount of 5L bottled water (two trucks’ worth) to maintaining a warehouse of 1000m2, one of only two in Chernihiv. It has no light and isn’t heated. So when it’s -10C outside, it’s not exactly warm inside. Those are the working conditions. Twice a week, announced over Instagram, around 200 local residents stop by for food boxes, baby formula, diapers. There are photos on Instagram of everyone who received aid and the aid which came in. Do watch this clip with English subtitles from a documentary film made last spring about volunteers in Chernihiv:
I wish Volodymyr and Serhii a safe drive to Ukraine, and thank them for educating me. I promised to think about how one might approach Austrian hospitals and distributors of prescription drugs to ask about donations for Chernihiv area hospitals and doctors. I have no idea how to find used washing machines. I think about that too. I sit there in awe of the organizational skills this all takes while a war is raging, because don’t forget, they started their work during their city’s darkest days. They didn’t have time to get ready and make any kind of long-term plans. They just dove in and did the right thing. So impressive.
I keep scrolling through the Instagram photos. And thinking I have only seen a teeny tiny sliver of the suffering through my “work” here in Austria. How to you manage on a tiny amount of money and small kids and war and the electricity and water are shut off and … how do they all do it? How can we all help more? That’s what I am trying to answer through these series of posts and I don’t always have a ready answer.
Volodymyr says he doesn't like to accept money without a purpose. If he fundraises, it is for a specific need. I understand that, and yet would so much like to help. If anyone reading this has connections within the hospital and pharma communities in Austria, I think that would be a good place to start. Even simple things like used crutches and other medical support equipment are in demand. As are very normal items like baby food, formula, diapers. The men have official permission to leave Ukraine for 15 days when transporting goods. I asked this question too after spending 90% of my time the past year meeting with Ukrainian women. They have vehicles and drivers and are accountable.
Hats off to Volodymyr and Serhii and the millions of unseen heroes in Ukraine just like them quite literally keeping their fellow citizens fed and clothed this winter and helping the armed forces, too. I hope to continue to share more of these stories with you.