In the latest "Voluinteering for Ukraine" post, journalist David Kirichenko shares his experience traveling to Romania to assist Ukrainian refugees as a translator. "The memories of my time volunteering on the Romanian border with Ukraine are vivid and indelible," he wrote, "the piercing screams of children, still haunted by the echoes of bombs. Firsthand accounts from children telling me about watching their grandparents bleed out as they were too slow to reach a bomb shelter once the bombs started falling. The sight of individuals so traumatized that they were unable to speak."
David also discusses the way he and others have mobilized niche online communities to support Ukraine in various ways. During his initial quest to find a way he could help, David crossed paths with Suhail Mirza. Although Suhail had no prior connection to Ukraine, he was able to put David in touch with a shelter in Romania. Not only that, he also bought a ticket to join David in volunteering on the ground.
The Ukrainian football (soccer) community also doubled as a channel for outreach. When it was time for him to leave Romania, David turned to the Ukrainian football fanbase on Twitter to find a replacement. "That's when I met Genani, a half-Ukrainian and half-Brazilian man who spoke fluent Russian," David explains. "Despite having yet to meet in person or interact directly, Genani immediately stepped up to the challenge. After nearly 30 hours of travel to Romania, he took on the role of the primary translator at the shelter, tirelessly assisting refugees in their time of need."
Read David's story in our Volunteering for Ukraine series.
"Volunteering for Ukraine" articles are written by individuals connected to HURI and the wider Harvard community who have been volunteering with effective programs to provide physical or monetary aid to refugees, displaced persons, and those remaining in Ukraine who are at risk because of the war. Learn more.