Here in Westport, fall feels like the start of a new year.
The opening of school always brings the sense that anything is possible. Energy abounds.
And with so many activities ahead — the Westport Country Playhouse gala and Wakeman Town Farm Harvest Fest this weekend; LobsterFest and Westoberfest next weekend, just to name a few — excitement fills the crisp air.
Five thousand miles away in Lyman, Ukraine, the mood is far different.
Anxiety permeates our sister city. Russian troops lurk within shelling distance. Homes, schools, businesses and hospitals are destroyed. Thousands of residents have fled. Some have died.
A damaged home in Lyman …
But the couple of thousand who remain — including some children — are resolute.
The latest report comes from Bogdan Shestopalov. The other day, the director of operations for Ukraine Aid International — the non-profit founded by Westporters Brian and Marshall Mayer — spoke by Zoom with “06880.”
He was in Kyiv. The electricity was on — not always the case, even in the capital city.
Things are tense there — and all over the country, Bogdan noted.
… and apartment building …
Nearly a year after UAI delivered generators, communications equipment, other supplies — and, for the kids, Christmas gifts courtesy of our other sister city, Marigny, France — another difficult winter looms.
Russia’s front line is just 6 miles from Lyman, Bogdan says. There are trenches, and “active warfare.”
Artillery shells from so close are difficult to shoot down. Often, residents have just 3 or 4 minutes’ warning before explosions rock the town.
After each attack, it takes a while to restore power. Basic tasks like cooking are daily struggles.
… and another structure …
Bogdan estimates there are still 600 youngsters — including 150 toddlers — in Lyman. Because of damage to school buildings, and the dangers of attacks, classes take place in small “study centers” scattered everywhere.
“There’s a constant sense of stress,” Bogdan reports.
“People are tired, but resilient. Of course the longer this goes on, the more difficult it becomes.
“It’s exhausting. But there is no other way out. Ukrainians don’t allow ourselves to give up. That’s part of our culture and tradition.”
… and bridges.
Residents and town officials are grateful for Westport’s help, Bogdan says.
As winter approaches, there are new needs: generators, devices for heating and cooking, power banks, hygiene products.
As it has done since the war began, Ukraine Aid International uses cash donations to purchase goods in Europe, then deliver them directly to where they’re needed most.
Autumn 2024 is near. As we look forward to fun and fundraisers here, we also remember our friends in our sister city who anticipate a very different time.
(To donate to Ukraine Aid International, click here. Then click the “I want to support” box; next, select “Support for the City of Lyman.” Scroll down on that page for other donation options (mail, wire transfer and Venmo.)
Marshall Miller, co-founder of Ukraine Aid International, in Lyman.
