Hope in Ukraine: Our 2024 Humanitarian Mission to Kuyalnyk

A group of interpretive reenactment performers sharing history and culture with Actions Beyond Words, the Burlington Sister City Delegation, and representatives of the Kuyalnyk village territorial community.

Food Delivery, General ABW Work, Ukraine

August 6, 2024

When you think of Ukraine in July 2024, your mind might immediately jump to the ongoing war, the tragedies, the horrific bombing of the children’s cancer hospital, and the desperation of countless families. Finding reasons to celebrate seems almost impossible unless you’re using words like resilience, stoic, and committed.

However, amidst the turmoil, we were delighted to deliver over $250,000 worth of medical and rehabilitation equipment to the Kuyalnyk Village territorial community near Podilsk in the Odesa Oblast. You can read all about this initiative in our recent blog post. ABW has a phenomenal relationship with the people of Burlington, who have been vital supporters and significant donors over the last two years. We were honoured to be invited by the Burlington delegation, Kuyalnyk’s sister city, to join this visit as guests of the Kuyalnyk village territorial community.

Our itinerary was incredibly packed, but if I had to choose words to describe this particular Ukrainian experience, they would be pride, inspiration, excitement, dedication, and opportunity. In a country torn apart by war, where every night is marked by the threat of aerial attacks, it’s challenging to think about economic development, significant infrastructure planning, green power development, well-being and mental health facilities, and business growth and conferences. Yet, that’s exactly what we witnessed during our visit.

Colin Hilliard and Adam Room at the construction of an underground bomb shelter near a school for the local community. — Adam Roof and Avery Anderson with local Ukrainian flower grower in Kuyalnyk Village Territorial Community

Travis Goode, Co-Founder ABW at business leadership and development conference in Kuyalnyk village territorial community, Odesa Oblast — Travis Goode, Co-Founder ABW at business leadership and development conference in Odesa Oblast

The vision and passion of both the local government and the independent small and medium-sized businesses were awe-inspiring. Whether it was local flower growers, flour millers, or wine producers, the obvious love and care for their products and pride in their community and country were palpable. From handcrafted Ukraine-coloured heart keychains to the smallest token of hospitality, the dedication was clear and heartfelt.

One of the most beautiful things about Ukraine is the sense of pride, the desire to share what you have, and the cultural and hospitable responsibility to show off your best. This could not have been more evident or better demonstrated. Every drink, meal, and sample, whether it was a piece of local honeycomb or a presented flower, showcased this pride.

Sharing of culture and history was also of high importance to the amazing staff and representatives of the Kuyalnyk village territorial community. We were able to spend some time at the annual, highly traditional Borscht Festival, where there were over 20 different varieties of borscht, each with its own unique recipes, secrets, and ingredients.

We were also treated to interpretive reenactments of Cossack history, in full costume, under the blistering midday sun. We had the opportunity to see children’s sports summer activities, and some of our team even got to join a kick-around. However, it was a harsh reality and a reminder of where we were when, not 100 yards away, a significant construction project for an underground community bomb shelter was well underway.

Simon Massey, Co-Founder of ABW, with the interpretive reenactment group of performers near Nestoita village.

Adam Roof and Colin Hillard at the annual Borscht Festival where Adam was invited to speak as guest of honour - then the locals did traditional dancing with them! — Adam Roof and Colin Hillard at the annual Borscht Festival where Adam was invited to speak as guest of honour – then they took them dancing!

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Adam Roof, board member ABW, enjoying a little kick-around time with the local summer football (soccer) project. Adam Roof is in hi Actions Beyond Words Polo Shirt, and the boys are in the background in Pink bibs — Adam Roof, board member ABW, enjoying a little kick-around time with the local summer football (soccer) project

The entire team enjoyed a great dinner together in Odesa, sharing stories from our respective cultures, shared pains, losses, and achievements of the previous two years. However, the remains of the destroyed Hotel Odessa in the port area were ominous in the distance, a constant reminder of our surroundings.

As our time in Kuyalnyk drew to a close, and we reflected on our experiences, there was a poignant moment as we reviewed UALive only to see strikes in the Odesa port region overnight. Thank you, Kuyalnyk village territorial community, for the most incredible and insightful time with you—we know this will be a relationship that continues to blossom.

**Three Weeks Later**

While this is being written at the same time as the rest of the blog, it’s a retrospective review, almost an addendum. Having received a request for baby supplies from friends in Donetsk via our colleagues at Paracrew, our new network in the Podilsk area jumped in feet first to support the request, sourcing, packaging, and sending vital aid to where it was needed. This phenomenal support, local economic support, and huge thanks to Inna and her family for all their help on this one.