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

 

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 project near us, Червона Каліна (Chervona Kalina - translates Red Viburnum), that needs volunteers to help with kitchen work, children's weekly events and making camouflage nets. Food (stuffed pastry rolls, soup, etc) is cooked and delivered, daily, for a unit of about about 30 soldiers. Meals are provided twice a month for internally displaced people (IDPs - refugees from the region) and weekly for a children's group. Psychological support is given, which is incredibly important. The group also distributes humanitarian aid, including food and hygiene products, to IDPs. The large building is a former student hostel that was damaged by bombing - the windows on the upper floors, where students slept, are broken and the rooms are now unused. The general condition of the building is poor, and the cooking equipment is old and very basic. The cooks and volunteers manage but they really need funding, just to buy sufficient cooking ingredients. The project manager said that they cannot always meet soldiers' requests for food, which is heart-breaking for them.

The videos on YouTube (link below), of the children's events, are both adorable and heart-warming - consider that all of them have had to leave their homes, schools, friends and communities because of constant shelling and bombs. Families with children are compulsorily evacuated from areas that become too dangerous to live in. By comparison, Kharkiv is considered to be a 'safe' place.

https://youtube.com/@chervona-kalyna-kharkiv?feature=shared

We, at Hell's Kitchen, want to support Chervona Kalina, with volunteers and funding, and maybe help with children's events. Already, one volunteer has started a fundraiser - please support this if you can. Any amount, however small, will help.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/chervona-kalyna-kharkiv-kitchen-is-looking-for-donors

The third Thursday of May is Vyshyvanka Day in Ukraine - a holiday to celebrate and preserve the centuries old Ukrainian tradition of unique, embroidered clothing. Some of the Ukrainian volunteers wore their vyshyvankas, such as Liuda, below. Last week was also the 40 days commemoration of the death of the son of one volunteer, in the war, so there was some quietness and sadness for two days, on which additional, home-cooked food was brought into the kitchen for volunteers.

This coming Thursday I will leave Kharkiv to begin the long journey back to England, to visit family and friends for a couple of weeks, followed by a few days' holiday in the Ukrainian Carpathian mountains with other volunteers. It's always difficult to leave Ukraine, particularly now, Kharkiv, at such an uncertain time. But I'm hoping to catch up with supporters of Ukraine, including in Trawden, the village where I used to live, and I've been invited to the Ukrainian Centre in the city of Wolverhampton. However, I cannot get back soon enough...

To make a donation to the regular causes I support, please open PayPal and, when asked for email, enter sunflower_house@hotmail.co.uk

You can specify where you would like your money to go, otherwise I will send it where I think the need is greatest:

Adults For Children supports families displaced by the war.

Hell's Kitchen - funding for daily, nutritious meals for hospitals and other people in need.

Franklin, Hell's Kitchen foreign volunteer coordinator, supports local soldiers and medics.

Fabric for camouflage netting, ghillies and stretchers/seamstress costs 

If you would like to donate to a charity that support animals - Animal Rescue Kharkiv