Ukraine: Meet the Volunteers Risking Their Lives to Bring Aid to People in Need

Every minute and every mile matters

Fuel is also a major challenge for the students.

“In the beginning we used our own money. Now we receive support. But the prices for petrol have doubled in the last months,” explains Maria. One full tank for a small vehicle (17 gallons) was about $38 – $52, now it is at around $105.

“We need to plan a little extra for detours, when a road is blocked, has active fighting, or is destroyed. This takes longer and uses more of the expensive petrol,” she continues.

Their plans also include detailed instructions for the deliveries. It tells the drivers which box goes where and to whom, who to call at what time, so they are ready, and the delivery goes as fast as possible. In about 200 trips they have made in the last six months, they only had two incidents where a box did not arrive where it was supposed to. One landed in the hands of the wrong person, and another fell off the car on the road.

“All other boxes were given to the right person at the exact right time,” says Maria proudly.

Dangers persist

Their system works and saves lives. But plans and lists aside, they still cannot eliminate the danger.

“We often panic after such a trip, when we look at a map and see how close we actually were to the danger,” Bohdan admits. The scariest moment for him was close to Kyiv.

“A military plane was flying very low over us. Then a factory next to us exploded. It is terrifying when rockets fly your way”

Even though it is very dangerous and terrifying, Bohdan never says no to a trip.

“I cannot stay away. I see people living in metro stations, I hear what the displaced tell us about the war. It is my responsibility to help and to get them out of there,” says Bohdan.

But there are also moments of hope that give Bohdan strength to continue.

“The people really appreciate our help. They are now waiting for us. Sometimes someone makes me a sandwich late at night when we arrive. I can see that what we are doing is important.”

27 trips, 42 cats

Next to families the drivers also rescue pets. At one time Bohdan had 42 cats in his car. One of them had kittens on the road. In 25 weeks since the escalation of the war, Bohdan made 27 trips to these areas, but he still feels that he isn’t doing enough. “I want to do more, even if I work non-stop. If I go to a coffeeshop to drink a cup of coffee, I feel guilty, because I could be on the road and save more people,” the student says, looking at the cup of coffee in front of him.

On each trip the students learn what the current needs are. “Food is needed most. Ninety percent of businesses in areas with active fighting are closed. They do not have any food. They are hungry. In Mykolaiv is no more safe drinking water. First, we only had a few bottles of water with us, now we bring filters, and the car is always full of water,” describes Maria.

The students are in need of basic items such as food, water and medicine, but they are also looking at the winter.

“It will be a very difficult winter. People are burning out. Psychological support will be needed more and more,” says Maria.

The volunteers have been working continuously for six months now. Also, the drivers will face their limit, as such a trip over four days and to up to 10 cities in one trip is physically exhausting. They never stop. Not even when there is an air alarm. Stopping is too dangerous. But Maria and Bohdan will continue for as long as they can.

“We get a lot of support. An official at the Polish border helped me cross at one time, even though I had the wrong documents, Maria reflects.

“We are all one community now.”