A few thoughts on closing down the Ukraine Project:
In any disaster, our main focus is to identify and meet the needs that are not currently being met or that the local community are not able to handle on their own. This was the case in Ukraine during most of our time there. But increasingly, more Ukrainians are emerging who are willing and able to do front-line evacuations, including civilian volunteers and volunteer police units.
Front-line evacuations come with a significant risk already, and where speed and communication are essential, language barriers pose yet another real security challenge. With most of our volunteers not speaking the Ukrainian language, translators are necessary, which can make communicating clearly and quickly more difficult during high stress and dangerous situations.
In addition to this, with the significant increase in drone technology and activity, some of the most effective anti-drone measures fall under the defensive weapons category and therefore do not align well with our organizational standards. So in order to maintain the integrity of these standards while also minimizing the potential of becoming a liability to our local partners, we have made the decision to discontinue our operations in Ukraine.
We participated in evacuations as long as it made sense to do so, while also considering other projects we could help with that were consistent with our mission and vision. Some of these projects included the IDP Shelter and multiple Rebuilding Projects.
With our decision to close this project, we recognize that the work in Ukraine is not finished. The war is not over, the needs of the people are still significant. Hope is still needed. As we transition, we are leaving the work to our dear friend and partner Chaplain Leonid and those who are supporting him. He will continue operating the IDP Shelter and plans to continue front-line evacuations alongside the local volunteers who are working with him. Continue to pray for the people of Ukraine and those who are committed to continue the work. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve in Ukraine and deeply appreciate your support and prayers in all of this.
