Survive

It's not interesting lately, is it?
Is anything still happening? Giedrė rarely goes to Ukraine anymore, she doesn't do anything interesting anymore, so she must be out of breath. She doesn't ask for anything anymore, she doesn't write anything anymore, she doesn't buy cars anymore, but it can't be that she doesn't need anything there. Other foundations have busloads of them. But here, they are collecting money and nothing.
Yes, when you start doing more serious and purposeful things, it's less interesting. At least for you. For me, on the contrary. Technology has got me hooked. Yes, I don't understand a lot of things myself (ok, almost nothing:)); a lot of new and complex information has come into my brain (and I lack the basic rudiments); so I often have to trust trust trust trust. And I'm not gullible:)
But has it worked? I think YES. I know it has. When I got sucked into this circle of support for Ukraine, we started with the basics. Little by little, we expanded, we grew. The activities and the donations we raised were constantly evolving. Until we grew to SERIOUS things. Until we grew to the merger of two foundations. And now it's even more serious.
A few days ago, I left for Ukraine on short notice. The day before, we received the equipment ordered from Germany. Ukraine says ship it! You get in the car and you drive. The box weighs 7 kg, it's not too big, it's not even something to show in the photos, and it cost 4500 euros. I have written many times - I need a spectrum analyser and an antenna. We bought them.
When someone is carrying tonnes, you are carrying 7 kg. So what's the support here?
But you know, you have to listen. And you need to hear. I've been learning that long and hard. And I still haven't learned it fully. It is an eternal science. But I am improving:))
And why go for a box, because someone can take you there, so why go yourself? So here we go again. Listen and hear. To get the most necessary thing there.
If you ask soldiers if they need one thing or another, most of them will say they do, because why not. The list is endless - clothes, food, medicines, .....
But ask them, and yourself, another question - which is more important - the thing or the greater chance of SURVIVAL?
So let's start there. LEARN. This must be the priority. Knowing how to put the turnstile on correctly is very important and very good. But it is even better not to have to put it on because there is no war. It is very good to sit in a trench with dry and warm feet, but it is even better not to have to sit in a trench at all, because there is no war.
Please don't be angry with me for no longer coming to the workshops and helping to organise them. Because time is a limited resource. And my priority and my time goes here: to have the best chance of SURVIVING.
Please don't be angry with me when I say that the means of fighting are the first thing and then everything else. Because again, my priority is to maximise the chance of SURVIVAL. Even if a little hungry or cold.
First, the war must end. And then it will be better for everyone - children, old people, women, men, animals, EVERYONE. But first we need to SAVE.
And yes, keeping a soldier motivated is very important and very good. But it is even better when a soldier does not need to fight because there is NO WAR. Therefore, everything must be done to prevent it. Let's fight the cause, not the effect. It will be more effective and less damaging.
And thank you. Let's help sincerely, not for a medal. Let's help without expectations. If you have expectations, you want to make some kind of exchange, not to help. A medal and a thank you are warmth in our hearts. And let it accumulate there.