1000 days: big things, little things...

Today, Tuesday 19 November, marks 1000 days since Russia's full-scale invasion, which has led to the deaths of thousands of Ukrainian citizens, more than 6 million living abroad as refugees and Ukraine's population falling by a quarter.
Finally, the US, hopefully followed by the UK and other European countries, has allowed limited strikes by long-range missiles into Kursk region, to strike barracks, fuel and logistics hubs inside Russia.

One of the Hell's Kitchen's volunteer drivers took a series of photos in the hospitals we help. This was the message from the kitchen's founder:
"I thought that it is important not only to display them on the page, but also to share them with you. Because this is what we do every day. These are the people we support: children, mothers, and those who gave their health, risked their lives for our safety and peace...

...We all know for whom and why we do our work, but still, seeing these people helps to find strength. Thank you to EVERY ONE of you for your hard work!"

Hell's Kitchen volunteers do work very hard, both those who live here and those from abroad. Three of the foreign volunteers - from the Netherlands, New Zealand and the UK - are collaborating with Ukrainian cooks to present a "Virtual Ukrainian Cooking Experience" on November 30, 11:00 EST, featuring the preparation of traditional dishes: dranyky (potato pancakes), baked pumpkin and beetroot salad. It's billed as a cooking class, as well as a chance to bridge cultures and stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian community during challenging times.

The event will be live on YouTube - the link will be provided on registration. If anyone is interested please contact me directly or leave a comment with your contact details, and I'll provide the registration link.

The other evening there was a test run - a long day for the volunteers, who had been in the kitchen since first thing in the morning...

It's also nice to know that the work of foreign volunteers is appreciated by ordinary Kharkivians. The other day, I came home and found these gifts on the doorstep from my landlady, and this message:
Добрый вечер, Фиона. Спасибо, огромное  за потдержку и помощь в столь тяжелое для нас время. Вам маленький  подарок от нас! Доброго вечера!!!...

...which translates:
"Good evening, Fiona. Thank you very much for your support and help in such a difficult time for us. A small gift from us! Good evening!!!"

Still on Hell's Kitchen, Franklin continues to raise funds for winter wear for soldiers. I suggested that it would be helpful to specify the cost of items because, sometimes, people applogise for the small amount they're sending. But this is what a small amount can buy:
$12.25 /EUR 11.25 /GBP 9.35 for a set of thermal tops/bottoms.
$4.00 /EUR 9.00 /GBP 7.50 for 3 pairs of Merino wool/polyester socks. $13.25 /GBP 10.27  EUR 12.35 for a warm fleece zip-up camouflage jacket. So it takes just a small contribution to be helpful! PAYPAL: bearstateteacher1@yahoo.com.

Mary, the knitter of tiny teddy bears in Trawden, was so touched that soldiers are carrying her little teddies as amulets...

She wanted to get some more teddies out to Ukraine for soldiers, and so she got knitting and has posted quite a lot of bears to Ireland, to be brought over by a volunteer who arrives next week. 

This little girl took some teddies to share with her friends in the playground.

The child below is called Bill. He cannot eat solid food. With donations that I sent, the charity, Adults For Children, was able to buy a blender for his food to be pureed.

Winter is around the corner. We had the first snow this week. My garden...

Times are likely to get more challenging, as the weather gets colder and power infrastructure is targeted. We need resilience and a sense of humour to get by. There wasn't enough snow to make a snowman so we made a dough-man instead!

To make a donation, please:

Open PayPal and, when asked for email, enter sunflower_house@hotmail.com




Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 25, 2024 at 11:27 AM

    Hi Fiona. I’ve just posted a donation on PayPal - I hope it’s arrived ok. Please use it as you think fit.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousNovember 26, 2024 at 7:53 AM

    Thank you for your continuous support for our people in my hometown! Fiona you are hero. And gratitude to your wonderful blog, it’s always interesting to read it.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Four glide bombs, two ballistic missiles, fifteen Shahed drones...and one new bench

Image
When I was a social worker I sometimes used a communication technique called the "good news sandwich," whereby negative feedback was delivered between two positive statements, the idea being to soften the impact of the negative feedback. So I will begin with something positive. About a week ago my landlady's mother came round with a workman, at least in his 70s - to make a bench for me, she said. She must have noted that I like to sit outside and that the only current bench consisted of one rickety plank! The bench maker didn't start until dusk and he finished well after 10 pm, when it was completely dark! During this time there was an air alert but this did not deter him. In the morning it was a surprise to see what he had constructed and, at the end of the day, there was a coat of creosote. I christened the bench with a glass of prosecco, as it was also a celebration for 'passing' the security interview for the annual renewal of my temporary residence permit...
Read more

Kharkiv - hope, another kitchen, temporary departure...

Image
  This photo (thank you, Mark) is an illustration of how beautiful Kharkiv is and how peaceful it felt for a couple of days during the so-called truce last weekend, whilst attacks continued elsewhere. As expected, because Putin is not interested in peace without capitulation, Russian attacks have ramped up again. Yesterday nine people were killed in a Russian drone attack on a minibus that was evacuating civilians, mostly elderly women, from Bilopillya, a town about 6 miles (10 km) from the frontline, in our neighbouring Sumy region. Residents in Bilopillya were urged to relocate on 5 May because of continued Russian shelling, and daily bus evacuations have been continuing since then. The attack, which also injured four other passengers, came just hours after the first direct (and inconclusive) peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow since 2022. It's sometimes hard to retain hope but we do; people continue with their daily lives and a few do a lot more. Yesterday we visited a kitchen p...
Read more

Children

Image
Children across Ukraine have experienced death, injury and deprivation over nearly 4 years of war. As of late 2025, estimates from Save the Children, based on “new United Nations figures,” cite 733 children killed and 2,285 injured since February 2022. The real numbers are likely to be higher, due to undercounting or lack of verification, especially in occupied areas or active-combat zones. April 2025 marked the month in which the most children - 97 -  were killed or injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine . On 4 April, a missile attack on the central Ukrainian city of  Kryvyi   Rih  was the deadliest, single attack on children since the start of the full-scale invasion, according to UN-verified data. The missile hit a residential neighbourhood, striking a playground and nearby apartment buildings, killing 18 people,  including nine children, and injuring 75 others, among them 12 children. Many of the casualties were in the playground. ( https://www.savethechildre...
Read more