An update :
Life in eastern Ukraine goes on. People try to keep it normal. Destroyed buildings remind of the horror made by Russians.
Local farmers try to carry on with their work.
Prices in shops are ridiculously high. These are European prices but the usual pension is around 2000 UAH. Some people have no income at all. They still try to catch small jobs. No one sits here and waits for others to help them. I love this spirit in Ukrainians.
Old babushka selling onion on the street, that's all she has to offer. But we appreciate.
Neighbours are helping each other.
Soldiers help civilians.
Helicopters above our heads. Ukrainian army is great !
Every day we hear bad news. We pray.
In a local supermarket - bomb shelter. AIR raid sirens frequent, then one day off, then again, several times a day.
We take kids fishing, they enjoy it to the most!
Life goes on, we carry on with helping these courageous people.
Currently great need to buy building materials, to help ruined homes be prepared for winter.
We bought a hoover, buckets, cleaning stuff, washing liquids, food, tools, we try to restore what is left.
WE ARE STILL HERE.
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The story is simple, but difficult.
Konrad Kozakowski rushed from Poland to Poltava on 4/03/22. Without knowing what to expect. He lived there long time ago for 6 years.
Initially, he was driving to bring food to people, usually Poltava- Lviv, then back to Poltava with food. On his way to Lviv drove people who wanted to escape the war. Lots of families with children saved.
As the situation has worsened, the city has became 1,5 million centre for refugees.
People are coming from various locations, mainly Kharkiv, Sumy, Luhansk, Mariupol.
The city has never seen any official humanitarian aid incoming in larger quantities.
Just because they have great air defence and have not been military affected so badly as other cities in the east, they have been forgotten.
Konrad said they don't know where to locate people who arrive. They don't know how to feed them.
People live in schools, nurseries, aanywhere it is possible.
Children have traumatic experiences and are very stressed.
Food is the main problem. Anytime an individual volunteer will deliver anything to the warehouse- it needs to be filled up again. There is no miracles. A small storage cannot feed 1,5 million city.
Konrad also helps Territorial Defence. They keep the civilians safe. It is very important.
Please check Konrads Facebook. For obvious reasons he does not post often and cannot make videos in many places.
Konrad Kozakowski https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077936690517
Tomek Ssak Sikora ( drives from Poland to bring supplies ) - https://www.facebook.com/tomek.sikora.336
ReactAid - our best friend who provided bulletproof vest for Konrad - same mission- https://www.facebook.com/ReactAid/
My profile- https://www.facebook.com/kora.ru.1/
