All opinions expressed are those of the individual and do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Edinburgh.
I was in Ukraine a few weeks before the war started and had only came back to Ireland because I had to keep an appointment there. At the time, there were already rumours of the forthcoming invasion, but no one truly believed in them.
"My father called me at 4.30am Irish time and said 'it has started'."
I was confused until I realised what was happening. My first feeling was fear for my family, and a degree of helplessness.
My immediate reaction was to get my mother out of Ukraine for her safety. It took me four days to get her from Kyiv to Ireland. I then had a very definitive idea of volunteering for the army. However, my relatives convinced me that I should rather use my fundraising skills to raise funds for the army and for the people in need.
I decided to create an NGO called Moral Fiber. It's venture-backed meaning I have a good network and useful connections. I also previously ran a company in Ireland, so creating a company here was a know-how. The main goal was to raise fairly large amounts in donations to support Ukrainian people affected by war. Our official mission is to provide medical, humanitarian, and vehicle aid to Ukrainians. To help them survive, escape, and avoid occupation.
Very soon, more people joined me including employees of Meta, MIT and some other companies. We have created a great team and most of them are currently on the ground in Ukraine.
"Every day is unique for my team and me."
Because all of us have previous experience in business, we have a good distribution of roles. We have people on the ground responsible for demand generation. They travel within Ukraine to meet with people and organisations, including war zones. They gather demand, do due diligence, and build a trusted supply chain there. We have a person responsible for creating a chain of suppliers and validating their scope so that we can get anything we need quickly and painlessly. We have people responsible for running fundraising campaigns and working directly with the existing and potential donors. And people like myself who do bits of everything, but also make sure that the fund operates with rigour and within legal frameworks.
We have some volunteers in Ireland, too, who organise local events like charity runs and baking competitions to raise extra funds from their communities.
"People can be generous."
Most donations so far have been from people in our network, mostly high-net-worth individuals. In total, we have sent about $400,000 worth of direct help to the country and the people.
We’ve been able to purchase medical devices like vacuum wound treatment devices for hospitals on the front lines, and to send out vehicles filled with medical and humanitarian supplies. These vehicles are currently in high demand both by volunteers and the military.
We’ve also sponsored the Restaurant Association of Ukraine to feed the civilians and the wounded, and purchased gifts for children affected by war. Then there’s the purchase of electric generators for people hiding in cold underground bomb shelters with no electricity. And there’s so much more. So much that people need and that needs to be done.
"But we need more funds."
We're working on a big fundraising campaign. We have a backlog of requests with P0 priority – meaning they can save hundreds of lives. There will be no rest for us until we complete all of them.
"My team is fighting evil on a daily basis."
But my faith in humanity has been restored, if I can say so. Firstly, the way my team has come together is just amazing. People are leaving high-paying jobs or taking sabbaticals to help people on the other side of the world. For example, we have three Americans working with us, two of whom work at MIT.
We are also seeing the same in Ukraine. The way the whole country has come together is just amazing. I am incredibly proud of the Ukrainian people and I have no doubt that we will win.
"The air raid sirens, when heard live, are just awful."
I have seen some terrible footage from my cousin who is on the front lines. He calls me via Facetime once in a while. I have seen explosions in the background and that’s just awful, especially considering that Russia is using a lot of illegal weapons.
During my recent trip to Ukraine, I have talked to a lot of people who lost their family members. That feeling I cannot even explain. It’s “meaningful silence” when you say nothing but at the same time you say everything.
And, obviously, seeing people with no limbs or even corpses – that’s a nightmare.
"Ukraine needs weapons."
A lot of help is coming, but it needs to be much faster. I wish less countries hesitated. I am speaking to you on the 100th day of war and there are still some difficulties in getting certain help that was promised but is undergoing approval. For instance, the offensive weapons.
I wish I saw fewer stupid comments on social media saying something along the lines of “Zelenskyy is guilty because he did not lay down weapons, thus he is causing his people to die”. We are protecting our land, our homes and our families. Zelenskyy is doing his duty, as is every Ukrainian.
"I wish all countries called this war a 'war' and an act of genocide."
I wish people in Europe were more willing to trade their own comfort to save lives in Ukraine. I am not saying it’s not happening, but again, it could be done much faster. Getting rid of gas dependency by 2024 is a long timeline.
And I wish that people didn’t get tired of the war in Ukraine and switch their attention to something else, which is happening. Ukraine needs close attention and a lot of help until we win this war. I hope the media and the governments keep reminding their people of the terrible war until it is over.
In general, I can say that a lot of people I expected to write to me didn’t. And a lot of people I didn’t expect to write to me did. A few friends who knew me from University did drop me a few lines on Facebook. Every message was hugely appreciated. Every word of support helps Ukrainians take one more extra step to winning the war. If you know anyone from Ukraine, drop them a line. Tell them you love them and you want to hug them. I guarantee they will appreciate it and some might even cry.
If you would like to help – please, reach out to me. Any help is instrumental to the people of Ukraine surviving this horrible war.
For more information please visit Moral Fiber.
The University of Edinburgh is supporting our community during the invasion of Ukraine. You can find out more about this on our dedicated Ukraine website.
Illustrations by Philomena Marmion (Edinburgh College of Art graduate): Philomena's website.
All photos courtesy of Denys Grabchak.
All opinions expressed are those of the individual and do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Edinburgh.