Here & Now

Valentyna Pavsyukova on Distributing Vital Aid for Ukraine

Frederica Freyberg:

Shifting to world news, even though Ukraine is no longer front of mind for many Americans, the war from Russia’s invasion nearly one year ago continues to ravage the country’s people. Some Wisconsinites refuse to let up in their efforts to send aid overseas including our next guest who has sent more than $25 million worth of goods to the Ukrainian people. Valentyna Pavsyukova of Fairchild joins us now. Thank you for being here.

Valentyna Pavsyukova:

Thank you for having me.

Frederica Freyberg:

Do you find the war is no longer top of mind for Americans?

Valentyna Pavsyukova:

You know, in many ways, the death is no longer news to so many people. We’re just so used to hearing about dying. People are dying in different countries. Children are dying, born and unborn and it’s not in news anymore. However, I see there’s — at the same time — very big awakening in the people. Just generally, what’s happening is touching so deeply with a question. Which world do we want to see? Where are we going with all that is in front of us? What will be the future. I think in the beginning of course, it was just a big shock. It was a lot of humanitarian effort is being given to Ukraine just from local organizations, so are bigger organizations and generally United States of America have helped so much. It’s true at this point a little bit we are shifting to the — I would say there’s a contrast, right? People want it to be done, want it to be finished as soon as possible and yet it just goes on and right now we all feel in Ukraine. We feel deep. Let’s say a focus. We’ll go on until the war is going to be over until it’s going to be a victory, no matter what anybody think.

Frederica Freyberg:

What you’re hearing from people in Ukraine about the conditions now?

Valentyna Pavsyukova:

Conditions are right anow quite severe. It’s winter and our country’s living only on 30% energy supply. Some parts of Kyiv, for example, our capital, is struggling very much right now with heat and electricity. Every city has a particular schedule basically when they can have electricity so which means you’re only limited to a certain time to prepare your food and imagine if you have elder people who are bedridden or children, very small young babies, this is very difficult. Very difficult, very hard right now.

Frederica Freyberg:

Your organization, Chalice of Mercy, sends millions of pounds of donated goods. Everything from clothes and food to blankets but it seems very importantly medical supplies and these are in the tens of millions of dollars’ worth of goods as we pointed out you’re sending. How are these medical supplies being used?

Valentyna Pavsyukova:

So once we ship everything to Ukraine and we work out of the warehouse here in Twin Cities. I have a very big group of volunteers, Ukrainian people who are immigrants a long time ago or those that came through the program U4U and they have a very great desire of course to participate in any way so it gives them opportunity. Once everything is packed on very big pallets, we send those to New Jersey to a great company we work with and then it’s shipped to Warsaw and from Warsaw transferred to Lviv. And from Lviv to Zaporizhia city. That’s the city I’m from. I’m a citizen of United States but I was immigrated to United States 21 years ago and Chalice of Mercy exist for 15 years of my American life so it’s very big. So basically once it’s been in Zaporizhia, we have a warehouse that is ours. Team of volunteers – we receives requests from the medical teams in hospitals and trench hospitals, mobile clinics that save lives immediately, right on the spot right there. The amount of wounded people are soldiers is so vast, sometimes just a small clinic receives about 100 wounded soldiers a day and it’s going to be a very severe surgery, serious matters. We collect everything that is requested and then either we go right there, right to the front lines and bring these medical supplies or they come and get it from the warehouse we distribute from.

Frederica Freyberg:

Why do you work so tirelessly to do this?

Valentyna Pavsyukova:

It’s my country. It’s my heart is absolutely co-suffering with my people. It’s heartbreaking to see what Ukraine is going through. It’s a very, very happy country, happy people. People that are hardworking which just desire to have our own — to continue our future without having this communistic socialistic ideologies. And it’s so much in my heart because I grew up in the time when the Soviet Union fell and it was still in the hearts of people that say it’s a good thing. It’s just something that we live, the way how we lived and now there’s no doubt anymore because Ukraine — and let me put it this way, Ukraine always has been a subject of — for Russia because this war is not only 12 months now. Almost anniversary, very soon it’s going to be anniversary of one year. But before that, it was nine years. So a partial invasion happened nine years, right? But before that is 100 years which started from Lenin and then Stalin, the man-made famine and the revolution and out of 32 million people, 10 million people died just because of starvation. So we always have been a focus because we would not submit to the Russian imperialism and therefore it is so much within me and it touches me to help my country to breakthrough from that silk thread with which we have been tied to the red dragon’s tail.

Frederica Freyberg:

We leave it there. Thank you for your work, Valentyna Pavsyukova.

Valentyna Pavsyukova:

Thank you.