Version Française après la version Anglaise.
My name is Gabriel and I am appealing to you to help me raise money destined to help Ukrainian refugees escape, and volunteers to fight Russian troops.
I need money to organize car convoys to the Ukrainian-Polish border to get women and children out of the country, and drive them back to France. Once that first part is done, I will purchase what is most needed for volunteers willing to join the fight against Russia: helmets, heavy body armours, neck plates and potentially kevlar clothing.
We will try to be as efficient as possible for the car convoys as to waste no money, but we will need gas and food for the road, pay tolls and potential hotels to cut the journey in half if there are too many kids. We will most likely be several cars, needing, therefore, substantial funds.
We will also need money to feed people once in France, and potentially finance some accommodations depending on how many people are to come.
Once enough people are out – although I might have to keep on organizing such rescue "missions" onward – I will then focus on buying combat helmets and heavy body armours that I will deliver personally.
These are VERY expensive.
A good helmet ranges from 400 to 600 euros – heavy body armour are around the same price.
I aim for 50 of each, or more if I have enough funds. 50 helmets will cost around 25k to give you an idea – same for body armours.
I will then need to drive them there – so more gas will be needed.
Why doing all this you may ask?
I have lived in Ukraine for 4 years and hold its people close to my heart. I have many friends stuck in bomb shelters in Kyiv, or hiding in the countryside, trying to take their wives, mothers and children across the border before returning to fight.
Some of my dearest friends might die to defend their homes. I am not talking about 2 to three people but dozens. Some in their late 50's.
We are way passed sanctions and diplomacy.
While people debate over the war on TV and in government offices where all they do is draft messages of condemnation – my friends send me pictures and videos of them stuck in subway stations on the background-sound of shelling and artillery fire above them.
Some of my best friends have to drive their partners to the border, where they have to separate in tears because they don't know if they will see each other again.
I cannot just sit around and do nothing while the French government and others talk of sanctions as if they made a difference.
War brings an inherent urgency that the West is not addressing because it forgets the lessons of history.
If my government's response – or yours – is not up to our expectations, we are to take it upon ourselves to act.
I am so proud of Ukraine and its people. I cannot explain how much this country has impacted my soul and shaped the man that I am today.
Donations from anyone would mean the world to me.
I am simultaneously creating a website to post news and pictures of what we do to show you where your money is going and how much of a difference you are making.
In the meantime, you can follow me on Twitter or add me on Facebook where I post news of the situation there and will soon post news related to this Rescue & Equip Ukraine Mission.
Please help me to help them.
Gabriel.
