Ukraine: call for donations
Update March 27th 2022
ZuBS:
Zurupinsk boarding schoold is still intakt. It is impossible to evacuate ZuBS because they have too many severe disabled children who can only be transported by ambulances. Luckily it is quite in the city. The orphanage is situated right near the main high way to Crimea they see a lot of Russian military traffic.
Kharkov:
It is quite in the city and it seems normal life is coming back but people are told all the time that it can get worst any time soon.
Cash:
This week we have sent both orphanages €400 each. ZuBS has already received money as we used bank to bank transfer. NBH has not yet received money because it takes longer with MoneyGram.
In total so far, NBH and ZuBS have received €1,000 each.
We plan to send more money next week, as they need it.
Do you live in Switzerland and would like to donate to Ukraine, please see here.
Would you like to donate to Svieta Inc. USA to help in Ukraine, please see here.
Update March 16th 2022
The situation in Ukraine seems to be frozen. We still are reading this terrible news but people Vika knows in Nikolaev and Kharkov report that it is relatively quite in the cities. They get used to explosions which they hear and even have learned to ignore air raid signals.
We have been able to send €600 to NBH and to ZuBS successfully. We plan to send an additional €400 each next week.
All necessary food is available in supermarkets, and even the prices have againe gone down a bit. Worse is the situation at the drug stores, a lot of necessary drugs can‘t be bought. There is electricity (light), water and heating in homes. It is still very difficult to get cash. The official exchange rate is much cheaper than the one at the market. Officially $1 = 29 hrvs, in the street it is approx. 40 hrvs. The prices for petrol have drastically gone up as well.
The biggest problem which friends in Ukraine are talking about is that they can‘t go to works because the majority of the firms and little businesses are closed. People do not earn money and savings are coming to an end.
NBH & ZuBS
Both orphanages are intakt, children get everything they need thanks to humanitarian help, which is imported into the country in huge quantities. All the children are safe. Let’s hope it will remain so. This is the most important.
Vika travelled from Germany to the Polish-Ukrainian border to pickup a girl from a friend from Nikolaiev.
Vika was very positively surprised how good things are organized in Poland (the majority of the Ukrainians, that are coming to Europe are taking this route). There are hundreds of people at the railway stations who speak both languages (Polish and Ukrainian), they help refugees to buy tickets (which are free for the owners of Ukrainian passports), they help to carry luggage, there is a lot of hot and fresh food and water available which refugees can get for free. Refugees are even given power banks and SIM cards! Everything seems organized like a Swiss clock…
People with children can ask for strollers, blankets, diapers and so on. There are ambulances which are ready to provide medical help….
It is all a bit sureal…
Update March 7th 2022
Nikolaiev: today at 5 o’clock in the morning the city was shelled and the Russian troops tried to enter the city. Luckily enough the Russian army did not manage (or did not want) to go further into the city.
The first humanitarian aid has arrived to Nikolaiev. The points where people can come and get clothes or care products or food for free have been opened.
NBH: is still intakt, they have all facilities (electricity, water, etc) and still have food to feed children. The worst is that they had to spend almost all day long in the basement. The basement is not forseen to live there and it is cold and there is not enough light.
ZuBS:
Zurupinsk is still under the control of the Ukrainian governement. When Vika talked to Tatyana (the director) she and her driver were queueing to get petrol. Vika coukd tell it was pretty loud and obviously the people were arguing, the tension is growing, otherwise it was quite in Zurupinsk and all the children are safe.
All children had to spend the night in the basement. Not very comfortable, to say the least.
We were trying to send money directly to directors of NBH and ZuBS. We tried MoneyGram and direct bank to bank transfer. So far MoneyGram failed but bank to bank transfer was successful, although bank fees are very high. With this extra money they can purchase items they need (if still available at the market or supermarket).
Do you live in Switzerland and would like to donate to Ukraine, please see here.
Would you like to donate to Svieta Inc. USA to help in Ukraine, please see here.
March 3rd 2022
We have decided that we want to help the orphanages in Ukraine, special NBH and ZuBS, in this difficult time additionally and we have immediately transferred a first donation to Ukraine, so that missing food can be bought on the market.
Situation in Ukraine
We receive controversial information from Ukraine. On the one hand, like you, we see these terrible pictures and reports on TV, on the other hand, Vika talks to her friends in Ukraine, who tell her different reports almost every day….
We cannot describe the current situation every day. Of course, life goes on and on, but still there is a feeling that something is wrong and the media is exaggerating a bit. Although we have no doubt that the situation in Ukraine is not safe and we all pray that this nightmare will end soon.
Vika postponed her trip to Ukraine and we postpone the next project in ZuBS….
The orphanage in Nikolaiev (NBH) and the boarding school in Zurupinsk (ZuBS) are both intact.
The children are still living there.
We plan to publish an update on our website after we experience big changes.
