Of course at Reshift we also follow what is happening in the world and in Ukraine. The whole of the Netherlands wants to help. You too. But what can you do? Here we list a few possibilities. Far from complete, but it’s a start. And every bit counts!
To donate
The fastest and easiest way to help is by donating money. You can do that at the well-known charities:
UNHCR: https://donate.unhcr.org/int/en/ukraine-emergency
Refugee work in the Netherlands: https://actie.vluchtelingenwerk.nl/doneren-oekraine-rusland
UNICEF: https://www.unicef.nl/doneren/help-de-kinderen-in-oekraine
Red Cross: https://doneer.rodekruis.nl/oekraine
Giro 555 has also been opened by the collaborating aid organizations: https://giro555.nl
In addition, there are smaller initiatives to which you can donate, such as the Ukrainians in the Netherlands Foundationwho want to use the money raised for the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers, support for refugee children and support for families of fallen soldiers.
Another initiative is that of Transporteffect & Chauffeurnieuws, which provides stranded Ukrainian truck drivers with food parcels and other basic necessities with the money: https://www.doneeractie.nl/help-de-oekra-239-ense-driver-in-nederland/-61026†
Want to take action yourself?
If you want to do more than just donate money, there are all kinds of promotions you can participate in.
– Collection campaigns are now being organized in almost every place in the Netherlands. Information about this can often be found on Facebook, but also local news sites and door-to-door papers report about it. You can call your municipality to ask if they are aware of existing initiatives.
– Besides stuff, you can also give time. There is a massive donation to these actions. This means that the organization often also needs hands to sort and pack things.
– Also badly needed are storage space and transport. Do you have an empty shed or shed, or do you have a van and are you willing to drive to Poland, Hungary or one of Ukraine’s other neighboring countries? Then sign up at one of the initiatives in your hometown and see what you can do.
– Do you have spare living space where refugees could stay temporarily? This can be a room in your house, but also a holiday home, for example. There are several organizations you can sign up with, such as Takecarebnb. All kinds of citizens’ initiatives have also been set up in recent days, such as Room For Ukraine and Onderdak Ukraine.
The website of Vluchtelingenwerk contains a list of answers to the most frequently asked questions about taking in and/or providing accommodation to refugees.
– You can also make your voice heard during demonstrations, which are currently also being organized all over the country.
Check your local news sites or door-to-door newspapers to see where you can help in your area.
Do not follow or spread fake news
If you want to know what’s happening, don’t rely on vague Facebook rumors or conspiracy theorists on the internet. Use reliable media. We have collected some for you. The information is in Dutch or in English. Also, don’t limit yourself to one source: by using more, you get a clearer picture of what is happening.
Reliable sites are, for example, those of the NOS, BBC, The Kyiv Independent, The New Voice of Ukraine, Bellingcat and The Moscow Times. With regard to the latter: media in Russia are not allowed to use certain words by the regulator. War, offensive and invasion are prohibited. The term special operation should be used instead.
So far (March 2, 2022) the Moscow Times does not seem to care.
The Moscow Times still uses the word invasion banned by the Russian government.
Twitter as a news source
If you are on Twitter, you can follow the war in Ukraine almost in real time. Many journalists, photographers and war correspondents report on the spot or from neighboring countries. Also President Zelensky, now followed by 4.4 million people, keeps the world informed in both Ukrainian and English. Other relevant Twitter accounts include those of:
• RTL correspondent Jeroen Akkermans
• Trouw reporter Michael Driebergen
• Journalist Harald Doornbos
• Nieuwsuur reporter Gert-Jan Dennekamp
† Christopher Miller from BuzzFeedNews
† Illia Ponomarenko of the Kyiv Independent
† Nika Melkozerova from The New Voice of Ukraine.
† Derk Sauerthe Dutch founder of The Moscow Times, is also worth following.
Whatever you want to do, do it!
The only thing that is useless is watching helplessly and doing nothing. So whether you donate a few euros or drive to Poland with a bus full of stuff: Дякую!
