PLEASE help our friends in UKRAINE!!

$4,475 of $5,000 goal

Given by 79 generous donors in 4 weeks

Money desperately needed to help our friends and their families in Ukraine survive the horrible war being waged by Russia.

Auckland

The safety of our friends in Kyiv – and all Ukrainians – is threatened by the unprovoked invasion by Putin’s Russian forces. They are scared, confused, angry, but also very brave and determined to withstand this aggression.

Our friends Maria & Alexandr Glushenko and Ibra Na, himself a refugee from the Syrian war, are either in Kyiv or attempting to flee the city. Ibra can’t leave Kyiv because of his wife, her old grandmother, their young son and 3 cats, while Maria & Alex are urgently trying to get to family in the western part of the country.

Like most Ukrainians right now, they desperately need our help. They are either homeless or sheltering from the fighting, no longer have jobs, possessions or money. Please donate as much as you can manage.

Maria, Alex & Ibra are the nicest, kindest, warmest & gentlest people you could ever hope to meet… just like all the amazing Ukrainians we met there. To paraphrase a message Maria sent us just a few hours after the invasion began, just knowing that we in the west support them and care about them helps them feel brave. And Ibra, who is in the Obolon district of north Kyiv, already under attack, said “Thank you all for supporting… I’m speechless, thank you… my family and I will need it."

So please give what you can, and also please forward this link or post to all your friends, especially those on social media, and encourage them to do the same. It will make such a difference to their lives right now in these very dark times.

Barney & Kate McLawry's involvement (page creator)

We made friends with Maria, Alexandr & Ibra in Kyiv when we visited in our camper van in 2015.

Use of funds

The money raised will go straight to Maria, Alexandr, Ibra & their immediate friends & family to help them survive in the hours, days and weeks of need ahead...

Glory to Ukraine!!! 22 July 2022

It’s been a few months since this outrageous Russian invasion of Ukraine began and the terrible war rages on, with so many lives ended or horribly disrupted by Putin’s immoral attempt to wipe a country and its people off the map.

Thankfully, our friends from Kyiv – Alex & Maria and Ibra – are still safe. They are weathering the war as best they can, taking each day as it comes while ensuring their families are protected.

The money we all raised for them – nearly NZ$4500 – has been incredibly helpful since their livelihoods were thrown into disarray when they were forced to leave Kyiv. Frustratingly, it took a while to get all the money to them because NZ banks are understandably wary of money being sent to Ukraine ending up in the wrong hands – i.e. Russians. But after a bit of trial and error, we got the money to them and it has helped immensely. So thank you all so much!

Our friends would also like to thank you all for heeding the call to help people in a far off land whom you don’t know, but kind-heartedly and generously felt empathy for. It’s acts of kindness and generosity that make all the difference when the world is being torn apart by an evil abuse of power – a sentiment that will see Ukraine and its people prevail in one form or another against the enemy.

Alex & Maria Glushenko: “We are so grateful for your empathy, moral and financial support despite the thousands of kilometres between us. It is valuable to feel the care of people from all over the world in this difficult time for us and our country. God bless you!”

Ibra Na: “To Barney & Kate and all friends from New Zealand, thank you all for your donation to us at this hard time. I have received the money and it helped me and my family. Much love to you and all respect.”

There is no end in sight for this horrible war. Putin insists he’s only just begun, and it seems clear his intentions are to annex large swaths of Ukrainian territory, which will impact Ukrainian lives not just now but for generations to come. The West has rallied in support of Ukraine and Ukrainians, though there is so much more we could be doing. Please don’t tire of hearing about the war, as dreadful as it all is. The country and its people continue to need our help and support. We must keep in mind the power of unity and empathy to achieve peace – peace on Ukrainian terms, not Putin’s. Please continue to help them whenever and wherever you can. Peace and freedom and democracy are the cornerstones of a dignified life. Glory to Ukraine!!!

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