Over the last two days I’ve had the opportunity to make two trips across the border into Ukraine. Two very different cities and two very different trips. The first trip has left me with a lot to process and a safety request from those who took me along with them that I wait until I return to the US before I post anything and that I take a photo of any photo I post, so that the embedded geo data does not put them in jeopardy. Whew. Head spinner.
Yeah. Not a problem. I am not quite ready to think about that trip anyway and I don’t know that you are ready to read about it. I won’t be telling that story for a bit.
The second border crossing was Tuesday in Medyka, Poland. Dave from UAid was headed to Lviv to deliver medical supplies to an orphanage and a senior home. He also wanted to visit “his” monkey friends at a shelter for displaced animals run by another group of volunteers with a different organization. Kate, a permanent volunteer from the UK has been here about two weeks now. She lives at the home sponsored by the Volunteer Housing Initiative and works at the Hope Organization shelter. She needed to learn how the border worked so that she could navigate it alone in the future. She and I joined him on this run. We also got to take a little brief sightseeing walk around the city. If I didn’t know, I wouldn’t think war was waging less than 50 miles away or that this town had been hit by missiles only a few months ago or that air sirens go off several times per week. Folks were just going about their day – everything seemed as normal. Businesses and restaurants were all open, people were going to work and to school. There was heat and electricity. Credit card machines worked. I was able to enjoy a croissant and a latte.
Crossing the border into Ukraine and back is an experience in and of itself. On the way, we dealt with an intimidating looking Polish Border Patrol guard who verified our car registration and checked our passports before leaving the EU. On the Ukrainian side, they wanted to know what type of medical supplies we were transporting or if we were carrying guns. I was told that they are likely looking for rape kits or Plan B pills, which are both highly illegal in Ukraine and can bring a 10 year prison sentence if caught smuggling them over the border. Of course, that’s not the only thing that could bring a prison sentence, there are many many others. For example, I took a photo of the border station and was told to delete it. It seems that Border Patrol has the right to search my phone and if they find photos in a militarized zone, they will confiscate it, arrest me and I would face extensive prison time. No photos of the check points built from bricks, tires, wood crosses and bales of hay. No photos of soldiers. Yeah – No. I don’t look good in orange. Pass. Hard pass.
After getting beyond the checkpoint our first stop was at a gas station to purchase a new Ukrainian SIM card. This has nothing to do with concern over roaming data charges and everything to do with our phones having a Ukrainian SIM, not one from another country. It seems that the Russian military will ping cell towers looking for a group of phones too close together from a country other than Ukraine, putting us at risk. We were also told to turn off location services even with the burner SIM. Well, alrighty then.
Dave shared a story with me on the ride about some American volunteers from the West Coast who crossed the border with him a few months ago. They came dressed in military camouflage, including fake Russian military patches, bringing more attention to the group from the actual Russian military who was occupying the area than was safe. The Ukrainian police force approached them and demanded the two American’s leave the country or risk arrest. They notified the Polish border, who were waiting for them to cross back into Poland to deport them back to the US. Upon their return to US soil, these two Americans posted a photo they took outside of his humanitarian aide warehouse with the caption “We’re standing outside the largest humanitarian warehouse in Ukraine!” Three days later the warehouse was blown up.
It was clear that he had a great deal of residual anger toward these gentleman, as they didn’t heed his warnings or do as they were told. They put he and his volunteers at risk. And, they were directly responsible for many thousands of dollars of humanitarian aide, including insulin and other front line medical supplies being destroyed.
Returning back across the border into Poland we were met with a full car search. Open the hood, the trunk, all doors, back packs, anything that was sealed, waiting outside of the car in 10 degree weather until they return with your Passport. It could be 10 minutes or 10 hours and there’s not a whole lot you can do about it.
Fortunately, it was less than an hour. Lviv is a beautiful city.
Will you help me help? There are lots of ways to donate, but know that all monies no matter how they are received will be used for beds and mattresses and other supplies – including a new sink I purchased yesterday and electrical equipment to allow more more cooking area at the Hope Organization’s Shelter. To make your donations tax deductible, you can make them through Volunteer Housing Initiative. You will have the opportunity to add a comment to tell them you want your funds to go toward this effort.
Or, you can donate directly to me via Venmo to @MtgMistress or by PayPal through this site.