Field Trip 2023

KentRelief recently undertook a field trip to Ukraine, the purpose of which was to meet our current in-country partners, potential new partners and some of our beneficiaries.  The field trip was an opportunity to gain a clearer understanding of the situation on the ground, identify any supply issues with our partners and better understand the needs of our beneficiaries.  We were also able to sign formal partnership agreements with our in-country partners and better understand their logistical set-ups.

Formal partnership agreements were signed with the following charities:

‘From Dreams to Reality’, based in Brovary, provides support to civilians in the East as well as hot meals to soldiers on the frontline. They also support a rehabilitation centre for those wounded in the war.

‘Petro’ and ‘Mazepa’, both based in Kyiv, are multi-faceted in their support, but with a particular focus on frontline service animals and also food to animals in villages near the frontline.

Aqua Venti based in Boryspil also provides support to civilians in the East as well as working with refugee centres in Boryspil and providing blankets and toys to orphanages.

Some of the beneficiaries we met included a community in Cherkassy who evacuated from Bakhmut after the horrific shelling of the town.  They had lost everything yet they remain determined to return one day.  Their resilience was amazing to see and they had turned the fields in their new temporary home into viable farmland where they were growing all their own food.  We pledged to send as much support to them as possible.

A back to office report was completed on return and a presentation given to all our wonderful volunteers.  We are now working toward meeting all the needs highlighted by beneficiaries to send out to Ukraine.