A SCOTTISH fundraising campaign for a Ukrainian charity supporting the rebuilding of the country’s infrastructure amid the ongoing war has raised more than £2500.
We previously told how Camille Dressler of the Scottish Islands Federation (SIF), based in the Isle of Eigg, had helped put together a funding drive for RePower Ukraine.
The charity’s motto – “resilience and green recovery for Ukraine” – sums up its key mission to provide emergency power to Ukrainians with renewable energy sources during the war and post-war period.
Specifically, it aims to help repower hospitals which have been damaged during the war. It also aims to raise funds for portable power banks, fuelled by solar energy, to be distributed across the country.
They can be used when hospitals' power supplies may have been damaged due to missile attacks.
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Speaking to The National, Dressler provided an update on how the money from the donations was being put to use.
“The funding from our GoFundMe appeal has been distributed to many field hospital teams along the front line from Zaporizhzhia to Dnipro and Donetsk,” she said.
She added that specific funding had been given to Dr Igor Belkin’s team working in the Zaporizhzhia region.
“They were particularly grateful to receive a solar generator which made his work so much easier in the summer months.
“He was also very touched when we sent him a recording of the Freedom Come All Ye tune played for him by piper Angus Binnie who is busy right now composing a tune called Solar Ukraine to celebrate RePower Ukraine’s first birthday.”
The team at the Ukrainian charity recently gathered to reflect on the work they have done over the past year to help those living through the war.
Communication and PR manager with the charity Iryna Zahorodnia told The National: “This past year has been filled with important activities aimed at helping Ukrainian communities cope with the tragedies of this terrible war.
“Despite being tired and exhausted, each member of our team diligently performs challenging tasks to propel the charity forward and assist as many people as possible.
“Looking ahead to the future, we are optimistic and determined to continue our efforts as our goal is to bring light to all Ukrainian homes and souls.”
In total, the RePower team is made up of nine people and members recently travelled to Kyiv to discuss the charity’s one-year anniversary.
The fundraiser set up by the SIF has raised more than £2500 over the past year, though it has an overall target of £5000. The page can be found HERE.
As well as the work its doing amid the ongoing war, RePower Ukraine has also established a renewable energy training course for army veterans and those who have been displaced by the conflict.
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The charity’s director Oleksandr Diachenko previously told The National: “The philosophy of our fund is to rebuild our energy system but in a proper way, in the way of green energy.
“Secondly, the world energy map is changing and Russian aggression is speeding up this process not just in Europe but across the world to change a reliance on traditional fossil fuels to renewable energy.
“Our philosophy is not only to help but to change the mind of the people that green energy means independence, it is the right way for success and stability.”
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