– When I saw the pictures of the children in the bomb shelters in March, I knew I had to help, says Jeanett Dyrseth. Several times she has crossed the border from Poland to Ukraine with the car full of goods. This time she has brought woolen clothes, thermal suits, fleece jackets, aggregates and sweets. Everything must be given away, even the car. She and two friends bought it for NOK 11,000. At a workshop, it receives a final overhaul before being delivered to its new owners. – They do it for free, and then it will be given to the soldiers here, says Jeanett. FIXED: The car gets new parts before it is given away. Photo: Åse Marit Befring / news Sacrificing the family Christmas At home in Norway, Jeanett has four children aged 3, 4, 10 and 13. But this year it will be Christmas without mum. – It will be a special Christmas. But there is such a great need for help here, she says. She thinks Christmas will be so busy that she will forget about missing them back home. – I have support from family and friends, and it feels good to be able to give something to people who have been traumatized by the war, she says. When she went with a friend to Ukraine in March, it was the first time she visited the country. Since then, there have been four more trips, and she says she has formed strong bonds with many people. Jeanett has created a separate page on Instagram, “project Ukraine” where she posts small videos and photos from the trips. Power shortage The last three times she has collaborated with British volunteers. – We map out what the need is and then we get it, says Andrew Axon. The former British soldier has donned a Ukrainian military uniform. But he says he does relief work full-time. Right now it’s all about getting enough aggregates. Several million Ukrainians no longer have electricity after power plants are damaged in Russian missile attacks. Even in the capital Kyiv, energy supply is limited due to the damage, and residents only have electricity for a few hours a day. – Now we have received a message that a battalion in Bahmot is freezing because they have no electricity. So tomorrow we will send them an aggregate, says Axon. He adds that there is a great need to get goods to the front because there are no shops there. VOLUNTEERS: Jeanett Dyrseth collaborates with Andrew Axon, who is also a voluntary aid worker in Ukraine. Photo: Mohammed Alayoubi / news Lost everything Jeanett shows around an enormous warehouse of medical equipment, hygiene products, aggregates, food and Christmas presents that the British volunteers have collected. She herself has experienced what it means to stand on bare ground. Four years ago, the family lost everything they owned. The house they had just moved into burned down, and they had not taken out contents insurance. – I know personally what it’s like to lose everything you have, and to be dependent on others for help. It therefore feels good to help, she says.
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Norwegian Jeanett sacrifices family Christmas for Ukraine – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
