Zeitraum: [December 2024 – January 2025]
In the winter of 2024/25, thanks to numerous donations, we were once again able to carry out an aid transport to Ukraine. Our journey took us not only to cities such as Kyiv, but also to frontline regions such as Sumy and Marhanez – places where the war is having the most severe impact on daily life.
Support for internally displaced persons and medical facilities
Our first stop was Kyiv, where we were warmly welcomed by our long-standing partner organization PokrovaFund. While our Sprinter was being serviced after the long journey, we began distributing the first relief supplies together.
In the Kyiv region, we supported a community in Boryspil that has been caring for internally displaced persons since the beginning of the war – with clothing banks, food distribution, and a “warming center” in a shelter basement. The power station we brought with us now helps them to cook, warm up, or simply create a place to meet, even during power outages.
Another stop was the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital, the most important center for pediatric oncology in Ukraine. In July 2024, it was the target of a severe Russian attack. Parts of the clinic are still heavily damaged. Some corridors have no lighting, so we had to use flashlights to look through documents. Cracks run through the walls and many windows are provisionally sealed. And yet work continues – with great dedication and courage.
Here we also visited Leia, a two-year-old girl with leukemia who touched us deeply. Her mother had reached us through various channels and asked for support for her expensive treatment. Thanks to your donations, we were able to help – a sign of hope amid the destruction. Due to the risk of infection, we were not allowed to see Leia in person, but her mother and grandmother came to meet us outside the ward. We are all the more delighted that the treatment is working well and that Leia is now doing better.
On the morning of December 24, we visited Zhytomyr, where we were able to give gifts to children who recently lost their fathers in the war. In a moment between grief and childlike anticipation, a quiet, deeply moving experience unfolded. Especially at Christmas, a family holiday, it was particularly important to us to bring a little joy to these children – in the midst of their pain.
Christmas near the front
In Pryjutiwka and Oleksandrija, we were able to take part in a special Christmas event for children whose fathers and mothers have been killed or are currently serving on the front lines. The gift boxes were put together by the Free Church of Warendorf in collaboration with the Ukrainian NGO Girska Zupinka. We had the great pleasure of helping to distribute them.
Many children in this region spend most of their time at home. Lessons are mostly held online, and social contact is rare. This made the church's colorful children's program all the more important: games, animal costumes, and music gave the children a day of lightheartedness. The image at the beginning and end was particularly impressive – quiet, withdrawn faces turned into bright eyes and happy laughter. For a moment, the war was far away.
Marhanez: Life under fire
Marhanez is located just a few kilometers from Russian troops, separated only by the Dnipro River. The city is under daily artillery and drone fire. The local fire department is particularly affected, as it responds to every attack and becomes a target itself.
This made the support provided by the Warendorf fire department, which donated special equipment and protective clothing for the second time, all the more valuable. The necessity of this support was made clear to us – some of the uniforms were still hanging up to dry after being used in an operation. The encounter with Aleksej, the head of the fire station, was particularly moving. He had been injured while protecting a civilian during an operation – and was back on duty just a few days later. When we asked him what was most urgently needed, he replied without hesitation: “Water.” Since the Kachowka dam was blown up, the fire department has had no access to the water supply and has to obtain water from outside the city, risking their lives.
The cityscape is also scarred by war: a large hole gapes in the cultural center, and the streets are marked by impact craters and destruction. During our stay, we witnessed a drone attack on a gas station just minutes after we had driven past it. The constant threat is palpable everywhere—in people's faces, in their demeanor, in their words.
Together with the deputy mayor, we also visited widows and families who were already living in difficult conditions before the war – today they are in dire straits, with no way to flee. A grandmother tearfully recounted how much her grandchildren had enjoyed their Christmas presents and food parcels. One mother told us:
“My newborn daughter was so frightened by an artillery shell near us that she woke up at the same time every night for months and cried."
These words give an idea of how deeply the war affects even the youngest members of society – far beyond of what is visible.
The last stop before we continued our journey to Sumy was the city hospital. There we handed over urgently needed medical supplies and spoke to a doctor in the neurological department. He gave a vivid account of the tense situation and the severe shortage of height-adjustable beds – a seemingly simple but indispensable resource for nursing care.
Sumy: Close to the front line, strong in solidarity
On the way to Sumy, we already felt what it means to be traveling in a war zone. Due to an air raid alert, the GPS signal was deactivated in the region to prevent drones and missiles from striking precise targets – a necessary measure, but one that meant we got lost.
In Sumy, just a few kilometers from the front line, we worked with an open church community that has been there for everyone every day since the war began, regardless of their origin or religion. We handed over a much-needed power station that supplies the community center with electricity and heat during power outages, ensuring that important aid services can continue even during attacks and blackouts.
We also had medicine, warm blankets, and clothing for the clothing bank in our luggage—some of it for injured soldiers in the nearby hospital. We were particularly delighted to receive a generous donation of yoga mats from Lotus Design. These will be used in a health course for widows of fallen soldiers, which aims to help the women find stability and strength amidst their grief.
Together with the Sumy Youth Welfare Office, the church from Warendorf and Girska Zupynka, we also organized a children's event with Christmas presents. Children who have been severely affected by the war were invited. After the event, a mother approached us with tears in her eyes and said, “I haven't seen my children laugh in months.” For a moment, hope returned.
On New Year's Eve, we also visited several widows. The turn of the year is traditionally an important celebration in Ukraine – but for many today it means emptiness and pain. With food parcels and small gifts, we were able to bring at least a little warmth. Particularly memorable was a conversation with a young woman who said:
"I thought no one cared anymore about what happened to us.”
Our presence gave her courage – on behalf of all those who show with their donations: You are not forgotten.
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Thank you for making this possible. Your donations are more than just help – they are a sign of solidarity, hope, and humanity.
