Day 1 Direct Aid for Ukraine Budapest to Uzhhorod and Beyond
Today is a day of finally seeing our Direct Aid For Ukraine vehicles ready to leave to the frontline. The most needed item for any troops currently in the east .
Today is the day we send off the humanitarian aid from Uzzhorod to Zaporizhzhia. And the start of our jouney from Budapest (Hungary) to Zaporizhzhia
Debrecen city helps
Alex Davern is the man who set up Emerson NI (National Instruments in Debrecen. Old connections with the city still alive, they are still very much respecting the man who brought the largest company to the city . The Mayor’s office responded, Dr Laszlo Papp has offered help.
What are we delivering from Debrecen city ?
I’m grateful to Edit Bódor, who coordinated the purchase and collection with the Hungarian Red Cross, which came to not less then 2 million HUF. And she has agreed to meet us at Nyiregyhaza on our way to the border.
First choice was to help 60 little ones to receive new school bags.
Then we looked at essential supply of the school shelter. If the power is out, they needed large power banks to keep the led lights going . Then of course lights. Lanterns, flood lights, extension cables . Also they needed a lot of tapes, and plastic sheets to tape off windows , in case they break . Can to imagine working or studying under these threats ?
Thirdly, the the city is home to hundreds of internally displaced people. And as winter is coming, so the need for warm blankets. 100 sleeping bags arrived, offer of the Hungarian Red Cross, which is now with us , travelling east.
After 4 years working beside each other, Direct Aid is gaining the trust of some key charities. The Magyar Reformatus Szeretetszolgálat - thanks to Debrecen city management request - has helped out crossing some more items on Zaporizhzhia charities wish list.
I am grateful to Viktoria Katona and Ágoston Victor for their help.
From tomorrow onward, 360 people will have warm covers, pillows, towels. And 60 families will receive a large box of hygiene products. All staying at temporary accommodation, which we are to visit soon.
Picture below : Victor Ágoston arriving with the humanitarian aid to Uzzhorod (Ungvár ) .
Zaporizhzhia- Kids to dress warm with the Emerson | NI (National Instruments) Debrecen
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My gratitude list continues, as we are getting closer and closer to the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia.
So, Alex Davern has made the call to his former company and his reach out wasn’t left unanswered. Just like 3 years ago, when we went together to Vynohradive, and spent 2 days building ikea furniture for displaced boys institute .
NI was the first multinational company setting foot at Debrecen, some 20 years ago. And Alex was the man who made it happen . His relationship with the staff is amazing, I told him o don’t believe he has ever left this position. 😀. But I guess this is what a good leader is like. People remember you.
Thanks to Kiss-Német Gabriella, for making to call to all employees to bring in winter clothing , warm coats, kids toys, kids hygiene products . The 3days collection resulted 35 big boxes of nice and quality clothing .
Here comes my wonderful friends, Szikszai Debreceni Heni, and Szilvia Vékony , who happened to live in the city. As “expert charity folding and parking “ team, they spent their Friday afternoon sorting and boxing. It’s such an essential part of any aid trip: you need to think of how can we best help the “other side”, people who will share it. So if we need a shoe size 26, a jacket 110 size, you would know immediately where to look for. Thank you girls, I owe you one! (Or many )
I would love to see these clothes distributed when we are in the city of Zaporizhzhia, but that depends on the situation. If the city is under attack, we have to rearrange this plan, and trust our local partner organization , Happy Child foundation, Ukraine, to do that on our behalf.
Zaporizhzhia aid - get the boxes moving with Malta Red Cross
How to get a van worth of donations to move across the border from NI Debrecen ?
That’s when you call a friend. I hope he agrees , we are. Schumicky Andras - Máltai Szeretetszolgálat - had the good news for me: they might just help with an overnight transport to Berehove .
Schumicky György is my hero, he picked up the boxes at Debrecen - leaving from Budapest. We all thought it’s not going to be possible to fit 8m3 gifts into one van. But it was for them.
If you have the transport, you have half the job done. The other half : customs . Any humanitarian aid need to be declared at the border. All boxes labeled, weight clearly marked. Then the receiver needs to register the list in an online system , before the transport goes across.
The Berehove (Beregszász) branch of the Malta Red Cross (Beregszasz Jarasi Máltai Szeretetszolgálat ) was our right hand to complete this job.
I very much appreciate the help of Makuk Janos, the director. He personally progressed the custom request , and a few hours later, delivered all this shipment to Uzzhorod. It was nice to give some cuddle and hugs, to them.
Zaporizhzhia- Budapest responds with Kárpátaljai Sárkányellátó Alapitvany
After a very successful mission together to help in the city of Kharkiv earlier this year to help the Honey Home Kindergarten , Balazs Trautmann with the “Dragons Supply Foundation “ jumped on board , to help in Zaporizhzhia.
I don’t know of any other charity in Hungary, that would be doing a steady and consistent work to help in Ukraine. Computers,, batteries, school aid, book shelves and many more projects.
This time Balázs made a call on Facebook, to meet him and his “Dragon Wagon 😀” at a collection point , near West End . Two days later, his van was full. Twice.
Honestly, you should watch his video of his own house, turned into a piles and piles to sort. All nice and warm children clothes. I dint think even Balázs expected this to happen.
Now the first full van - and of course Balázs - is on its way with us , reaching the city of Zaporizhzhia soon.
See, it needs a village to raise a kid, people say. Well, we also need a village to make things work.
The best part of this trip so far, is to see that together we can make this work .
The load included support from:
Hungarian Reformed Church Aid
Maltese Red Cross Berehove
Emerson NI
The city of Debrecen
Hungarian Dragon Feeders Foundation
Other private donors and volunteers who helped pack, sort, and prepare supplies
My next post is going többe about tue Military AID To our Heros. Stay With ne, and Thanks for reading!
A note on delayed photos and updates
For safety reasons, posts from this trip will not be shared in real time.
Thank you to everyone who helped us get this far
Most of all, it’s made of people who chose to help.
Please visit our Dobate page, if you can contribute to this journey. We are still very much looking for support, especially to aid the local children’s hospital .
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