Bob delivering wood, tools and screws. Another work day. He was rewarded with a big hug by a passing Ukrainian woman. They love that we care to come. We reap the rewards.
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Painting on the square.
A few folks have asked how they can help. You’ll know, trust your instincts AND do some research.
Over last winter, we watched online, as the group we’re currently volunteering with steadily transformed an abandoned and abused space into a beautiful garden. It truly takes years for a garden to come into its own and we’re only here to help affirm to the locals that, yes, there is a future here.
Garden
As I wander around Podil, I’m making a mental tourist map of all the possibilities: a bike route of the murals, drop in art parties at the garden, a bird/wildlife walk through the forest of Artist Alley, a bike ride to car free Trukhanov Island, hang out at the new parklets on Kontraktova Square. These are all beautiful things already, in a future of peace, they will come alive.
Building steps
Planting into planter boxes/picnic tables.
For now, we have found, as in a democratic society, that lots of people are taking their own initiative to make a difference. There are plenty of non-government organizations, all with a different cause. Some flame and finish in a quick effort; others endure. Many work in hopes of ending the reason for their existence.
Contemplating her box
Yesterday on a bike ride, we met Lars, from Switzerland, working here with Dobrobat, a home rebuilding program, for those whose homes have been destroyed in bombings. The day before, we met Kelly, who helped drive a convoy of donated vehicles from Denmark. Basel is here from California, as a student of transformative urban landscape design, volunteering with us at DIY Ukraine.
DIY Ukraine is completing a series of projects to help engage and build community. One thing I’ve heard about Ukrainians is they don’t really recreate, they work. The DIY garden offers the type of physical work that shows immediate results in a therapeutic green space. One never regrets time lost in a garden.
Bob and his compost
The Torv Kyiv project gives some human scale to a large public square, offering color, life, shade and seating so people can slow down, relax, and connect in a space they previously had to just get across.
Bob and I have really enjoyed our commitment here and will be sad to go. The people of Kyiv are truly delightful and seem so happy to have these projects. They deserve a normal life, and someday soon, they’ll have it.
We’ve heard that courage is contagious, and it certainly is. So please, listen to that little voice, use your gift of good judgment, and go out and do that one small thing today.
Grandma sharing her love of gardening
Captain Sunflower recently walked 2000 kilometers from Brussels to Kyiv and planted sunflowers in the community garden. 19,345 Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. #BringKidsBackUA
Here in Kyiv, I picked up a tick while working in the garden. It was well embedded by the time I spotted it and we didn’t succeed in getting all of it out. Some of the mouth parts were still in my skin, so according to protocol I had to get it medically removed. Everyone here was so helpful, from actually taking me to a clinic and translating for me, to offering to drive me for a Lyme test, should I need it. Once again, I came to help, and I’m the one being helped. They were doing One Small Thing. I want to live in a place like this.
Two women sidled through the gate, taking in the garden; Claire, me and Rich deep in gabfest. We welcomed them to their community garden, and introduced ourselves. Rich from New Zealand and we two Americanski. After some small talk, in English, one of them, looking at me asked,
“Why are you in Ukraine?”
I gestured to the garden-in-progress and answered with our message statement for this journey, and held my finger and thumb indicating small, “One small thing, do just one small thing.”
They understood.
One looked at me, “Not so small. That you come is good for our,” she searched for the right word, “psychology.” A nod and smile.
We chatted about how the garden works before they left. They will come back.
Weeding and transplanting
The garden space is an old vacant lot that was used for a dump by the neighbors and worse by the homeless. And little by little, (pomalenko), a place full of broken glass that seemed hopeless is becoming an enchanting, inspiring refuge for people to come in off the street and rest. Here, a community barn-raising effort is called Toloka.
Claire and Rich
Clever picnic table planter