2nd January 2025 – Sunflower Scotland delivered winter boots, warm jackets and jumpers to 528 residents in four villages, located south of Vovchansk. This is the “forgotten corner” of Kharkiv region. To get there, we had to drive for four hours through mud and puddles of icy water. The local residents are cut off from medical care, shops or banks. A single trip to Kharkiv costs 30% more than the average pension.
Before the war, this was a beautiful and relatively wealthy country. In May 2024, Russia brutally attacked Vovchansk, a small town of 17,000 residents. Following months of constant bombing, it has been reduced to rubble.
People with money fled to safer areas, while the poorest ones got scattered across local villages: pensioners, disabled, single mothers with many children.
This part of the Kharkiv region is sandwiched between two war zones of very heavy fighting: Vovchansk and Dvorichna. With north and east sides bordering with Russia, the area is constantly tormented by artillery, kamikaze drones and sabotage groups.
The good road Kharkiv – Vovchansk lies too close to the border. It has become a kill zone. Now, in order to get to the “forgotten corner”, one needs to take dirt roads.
We had to drive 110 km each way through the fields. Half of the way goes through sticky mud, snow and puddles of icy water. The journey took over four hours.
These villages cannot be reached without a 4×4 car. They are cut off from civilisation. To get to the ATM or basic shops, the locals have to pay 25% of the average pension (800 hryvnia).
Here, there is no medical help of any sort. To see the doctor, they need to go to Kharkiv. Renting a 4×4 car for this trip costs 4000 hryvnia, which is 30% more than the average monthly pension. Because of their old age, many local residents have health problems. They need medical treatments, they need prescriptions. Essentially, these poor people are priced out of the most basic necessities of life.
Clearly, these vulnerable people don’t have any spare cash for clothes of boots. We know that, and that’s why we brought help.
We had three cars – a van and two SUVs – loaded with boots and clothes to the brim. We packed the jackets in vacuum bags, in order to compress them, but still it was a sizeable cargo of humanitarian aid.
We unloaded in the local village club, in order to hide our activity from Russian surveillance drones, and started distributing aid. Everyone was very grateful. But many women were very sad. The constant stress from explosions and the hardship of life were taking their toll.
Sunflower Scotland bought the winter boots from a manufacturer in Ukraine: each pair cost us only £5. It was a more economical way to use the donations we received from our donors. Most importantly, by buying locally in Ukraine, we were able to support the local manufacturing and retail sectors, which were fighting for their economic survival.
The winter jackets were collected by wonderful volunteers from Dunbar, and Parish churches in central Scotland.
We wholeheartedly thank Torphichen Kirk, Ormiston Parish Church, and Cockenzie & Port Seton Old Parish Church for collecting and donating warm clothes.
We appreciate your kindness and your good work, all your donations have been delivered to the people in need, and are helping them to go through the third winter of war.
If possible, please support us with your donations, to let us carry on our work. Thank you.
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