One NGO Sent More Generators to Ukraine than the EU
Small NGOs are Playing a Large Role
in Ukraine
One of the many stories not being told about the war in Ukraine is the degree to which small, nimble non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are outperforming governments and big international organizations.
I initially came to Ukraine last March to help my Ukrainian friends get out of hotspots such as Kyiv and Kharkiv. I stayed because the Red Cross and other large international organizations were not bringing medical supplies to hospitals at the front during the siege of Kyiv. Someone had to do it so the Ukraine Freedom Project pitched in.
My friend Anya Verkhovskaya, an Academy Award Winning documentarian and passionate Ukraine activist, has a similar heart.
I met Anya in May when we worked on a project together. We have been collaborating on and off since.
Last fall, Anya and her NGO, Be An Angel, took orders from dozens of NGOs like mine, and is bringing 1,072 discounted generators into Ukraine later this month.
In contrast, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Twitter on December 22nd that the EU would be sending 900 generators.
Anya was born in the Soviet Union and understands how quickly freedom can be lost. Ukraine's freedom is so important to her that she used her retirement savings to from the costs of the generators.
And she doesn't have the resources of the EU.
The Ukraine Freedom Project is buying ten generators to go to Ukrainians at the front and to a group of Ukrainian Supreme Court Justices who are part of Kyiv's air defense. Yes, Supreme Court Justices are manning machine guns in Kyiv. That story is as good as it sounds. Expect a blog on it later.
Unfortunately, not every NGO lived up to their end of the bargain, and Anya has a couple of hundred generators in need of a home if she is to get her retirement money back.
The need for electricity is unlimited. Ukraine Freedom Project has already bought ten, and we will buy more with your help.
- $250 buys a 2500 watt generator that will provide power for a family
- $1760 buys a 12,000 watt generator that will replace the flashlights being used by many Ukrainian surgeons
Please donate now to help keep Ukrainians in light and heat.
