Saturday 21 January 2023 Dave and his father (1948) drove to Ukraine for the second time that month to deliver relief supplies collected in the Netherlands. A 7-day journey (4400 km) with air alerts, power cuts, curfews and under threat of rocket attacks.
Founding www.smolinministries.org from Ternopil once again received part of the relief supplies. They run a care home for the elderly in Zhukiv, Ternopil region, which we visited on our first trip. In the care home, we encountered elderly people, refugees from eastern Ukraine, who need 24-hour care.
The conditions in the care home touched us deeply. Thanks to a home care organisation in the Netherlands, we were able to donate a large quantity of incontinence materials. This directly improves the well-being of the elderly.
In Bucha, the Tanya Foundation purchased 400 euros worth of relief goods. The foundation deliberately chooses to spend the donations received in Ukraine so that the money flows directly into the Ukrainian economy.
In Kyiv, Dave and his father visited the Do Mrii Foundation (after the dream) www.domrii.com.ua/en. Tanya Foundation is building its network and here personal contact is very important. The Do Mrii Foundation came into being right after the start of the war. Volunteers who, in addition to their jobs, organise aid for the affected areas in the east and south of their country. They process received relief goods into aid packages which they deliver personally to the frontline.
The Tanya Foundation left relief goods from the Netherlands here, as well as the relief goods purchased in Bucha.