Heroes in a Humanitarian Crisis:

A UN report a few months ago suggested that 40% of Ukrainians were in need of humanitarian aid.  Given that in the last couple of months, Russian missile and drone attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure have dramatically increased, this figure is likely to now be higher.  Half of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been damaged.  Every day civilians are being killed and injured in strikes.   The health system is under incredible strain.

Ukrainians need our help.

But they’re not asking anything they’re not willing to do themselves. A country that is at war, where more than 40% of them are in a humanitarian crisis, is also one of the leading countries in the world right now for per capita giving out of their own pockets for humanitarian aid.   And Ukrainian NGO’s are leading the way in providing a lot of this aid on the ground.

Our partner CMA Ukraine is one of these – a grassroots organisation run by doctors, including over a hundred volunteers. Heroes in a humanitarian crisis…. I’ve seen firsthand the amazing work they do and how effectively they use the funds donated to them. And how they do it with love, care and compassion. True #loveinaction that really aligns with our values. That is why our volunteer-run organisation partners with them.  And hardly a day goes by that we do not see the fruits of their work and your donations.    Here is just some of what has happened even in the last few weeks:

Medical warehouse

• Transporting humanitarian/medical aid to hospitals, churches and military units across the country. It is important to note that CMA as a highly trusted and reputable aid provider in Ukraine is regularly offered truckloads of donated medical equipment, aid and medicines. However, they need to pay for the logistics to distribute the items and get them to where they will actually save lives. This is a great need that you can help with – especially if you can make a regular donation that allows them to plan.

Arranging and hosting global medical teams of volunteers

• Plastic and microsurgeons from USA recently conducted a huge number of very complex and important surgeries for both military and civilians including many children who have been unable to access the operations they need.
• Teams of Taiwanese family doctors conducting clinics and teaching Ukrainian doctors at mobile clinics in high risk areas where medical services are limited.

‘Armed Hearts’ chaplain program

• Continuing to train military chaplains in providing vital mental health support and care to thousands of men and women.

Save a Life training

• Teaching essential life-saving skills and first aid to both military and civilians in areas that are coming under constant attack and where everyday people use these skills to save lives.

Raising funds for and delivering ambulances to high risk areas

• Ambulances are one of the biggest needs right now, and being able to help with this also saves lives every day.

Raising funds for and delivering life-saving medical equipment like the Ecoflow we recently ran a fundraiser for.

Assisting Ukrainian doctors and surgeons to access upskilling opportunities that we’ve been able to connect them with in Australia

• Young neurosurgeon David whom some of you ‘met’ in my blog is coming to Australia in August very kindly hosted by a Brisbane Neurosurgeon to do some upskilling.
• A leader of medical units in Ukraine is being hosted by a Military Medicine conference in Brisbane in September.

We have other smaller partners (who are connected in different ways to CMA – many of these Ukrainian organisations work together).  Fortress of Good NGO run by the Banner of Love church (these are translations from their Ukrainian names) in Kryvyi Rih and the Disciples Church Relief Fund in Lviv ( read here about the pastor who helps injured soldiers) are two of our partners we’ve also been able to raise funds for recently. They are also organisations I connected with in Ukraine and witnessed and/or partook in their activities.  Fortress of Good delivers aid and comfort to de-occupied villages where people have lost everything. They also take aid to frontline areas and support the military with aid through army chaplains.  Their fantastic team runs programs for youth and children in villages that were occupied, almost all the homes were bombed, and the children live with a lot of trauma.  Disciples relief fund provides shelter, jobs, training and support for refugees from war-torn or Russian-occupied areas and also provides medical assistance to those who have been seriously injured in the war.

We are acutely aware that every dollar we send over to Ukraine right now is saving lives. That is why we ensure that all your donations earmarked for Ukraine get straight over there- administration costs come out of the pockets of our own volunteers or through other fundraising methods.

Together we can do so much more… ❤️🌏❤️

Please consider partnering with us and signing up for regular giving – even the smallest amount regularly can help!

ALERT: Recently the NHS donated truckloads of brand new unused medical equipment that can save lives in Ukraine – not all of them can be delivered because CMA needs to pay $4000 USD for logistics for one truckload to be moved and distributed, and they don’t have enough funds for all of them. It is a great way to multiply donations, as each truck has millions of dollars worth of equipment!   If you or your group/club would like to sponsor a truckload of aid to get into Ukraine, then we can get your name on the side of the truck and send you photos of it being distributed.    Contact opt@passingthrough.net for more information.