“Every day, this man comes around with a large water canister at exactly the same time. He stands under fire, offering water to the locals”
“Every day, this man comes around with a large water canister at exactly the same time. He stands under fire, offering water to the locals”
Abundant with Generosity: the Everyday Superheroes of UkraineWhere Perseverance and Love are the main ingredients
Artwork by Valeriia Proshkurina
Positive News teamed up with contributors from eastern Ukraine (area most impacted by the invasion). They offer little vignettes into the lives of everyday people who, when faced with severe difficulties, are abundant with generosity. We hope to share their stories far and wide, to inspire the world into collective action where Perseverance and Love are the main ingredients! You can join us in this. Please help us spread the message! May 23, 2022
by Juliia Sukhanova 1. How the merchants became volunteers in KharkivThere were many trade clubs in Kharkiv before the war, where we could enjoy seminars and trainings. The most valuable part of the events was the networking, where, over coffee, everyone got to know each other.
When the war started, one of the organizers renamed the closed chat to "Spasi jizn" ("Save a Life") and wrote that he was staying in the city to help. I remember that the most difficult thing in the first weeks of the war was to find transport to get to the station or the hospital. So this person began to drive everyone who needed it. Other merchants followed suit. They additionally offered goods from their warehouses and shops, and wrote to their business contacts abroad, asking for help. And it worked! There was so much chaos. Then, and now, even though many people wished to help, they didn’t know how to do it effectively. Thanks to the merchants’ organizing efforts, however, there now is a more direct way to help. As an entrepreneur, I know what it means to give away your goods or car to help others. These small businesses opened their stores and risked their lives. They are just real ordinary people, the best and kindest! I recently saw a text message that one of my friends died. A notice was placed on the door of his little store. But this won't stop "Spasi jizn” ("Save a Life”). 2. The WatermanAs a former hydraulic engineer, I do understand where the water in the tap comes from. When On February 24, the Russian planes attacked Kochetok I thought they took our drinking water. Kochetok is a small settlement in which there are treatment facilities and a little further there is the Pechenezh reservoir.
This water utility supplies the city of a million people (Kharkiv) with water. Even though the attackers destroyed the dam, the station was quickly repaired. But I still worried since water means life. When I heard about the Waterman from Mariupol, I cried and prayed for him, touched by the gravity of the situation: “nothing to drink”. In the city of Mariupol (population 500 000), severely damaged and cut off from aid, there is a certain person nicknamed the Waterman. Every day, this man comes around with a large water canister at exactly the same time. He stands under fire, offering water to the residents. The woman who told me this, said that all those hiding with her in the basement pray for the Waterman. And he continues to show up.. 3. Being a dog trainer is a vocation, not a job
Artwork by Valeriia Proshkurina
Last December, St. Nicholas brought my daughter a fox terrier puppy. We took her to a dog trainer. That’s how we met Aleksey.
Two months later, when our dog Utah was 5 months old, the war came to Kharkiv. On February 23, the Russian army crossed the border, and people heard explosions. Please, don’t get me wrong, Ukrainians are very fond of animals, we are all attached to them. But when evacuations started, not all could travel with their beloved pets. There are many reasons ... animals howl, bark, they take up space, are afraid of explosions and run away. Kharkiv burst with a request “pet cages needed”. All pet owners sheltering overnight at the metro station needed cages for the pets. They understood that there were people with allergies and some children afraid of animals. If the dog was big, it was impossible to hide in the subway with it. Aleksey the dog trainer decided to stay behind and help with the evacuation of the animals. A month later, I see that he is still in Kharkiv. He lives with 14 dogs of various breeds. Each with their own story. Some are staying temporarily, others who lost their families, who knows. Aleksey finds them homes as best he can. He is always on a lookout for those leaving the city, to take the animals along. One girl, whose family was leaving by car, brought five puppies and two cats with her. She distributed them at a safer city of Kropyvnytskyi where no locals would refuse a girl who, from a car with Kharkiv license plates, would plead with tears in her eyes, to shelter the animals. P.S. Our family is still in Ukraine, probably safe… so far… Our Utah and the two cats are also fine. ❤️ 
Juliia Sukhanova is a writer. She also provides social media marketing services [email protected]
Valeriia Proshkurina is an illustrator [email protected] These freelancers, seeking more work opportunities, are happy to offer their services. |
Vertical Divider
|
Our allies:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|