“The mood in Ukraine has sometimes been better.” Groningen Kees Huizinga describes the current atmosphere in the country with a sense of understatement. Huizinga, together with three partners, has a large farm near Uman, in the center of the country.
“Come on, let’s have a bite to eat at Hotel Zastava.” Kees Huizinga has just finished a long day of discussions. “I am now here in Ukraine, but next week I will go back to my wife and children in Emmen. I actually travel up and down a bit. And the time I am here is completely crammed with appointments.”
It goes over snow-covered country roads from the village of Kyshchentsky, where the farm is located, via Mankivka to Uman. Oksana Kryachko, a business partner of Huizinga, is also coming along.
Sad
When asked how she experiences the current situation, a gloomy summary follows. The border blockade in Poland and Slovakia for Ukrainian trucks that has lasted more than a month. The discussions in America and the EU about further (military) support to Ukraine, the summer offensive that is not producing the desired results. “I understand that young men no longer want to join the army.” While Kryacho cries quietly, Huizinga joins the conversation from the backseat. “It’s sad and sometimes it becomes too much. That will take a while. But we must continue. If you give up, Putin will win.”
“That blockade at the Polish border makes no sense at all. I’m not into conspiracies, but isn’t it clear that the Russians are using everything to frustrate things? It wouldn’t surprise me if they initiated the blockade. And everyone falls for it.”
Hotel Zastava is not just a hotel, but a gigantic complex with pavilions, several hotel buildings, a restaurant and all kinds of entertainment. Two other associates of Huizinga are already sitting at the table inside: Allen from Denmark and Willem from Gelderland. “Allen bought a new stable equipment in the Netherlands, we had to pay twice as much for transport to get everything here, all because of that blockade.”
Life goes on
Apart from the talking points and the official ban on selling alcohol after eight o’clock in the evening (but if you pay in cash, this is easy to get around), there is nothing this evening to indicate that we are in a country at war. “Here in Uman, life largely continues as normal for us. We can eat a rib-eye or a hamburger here. At the beginning of the invasion I did hear the bang of the ammunition magazine being blown up, but otherwise it is quiet here.”
But the war is definitely present. Refugees live on the Huizinga site. Forty employees are in the army, and neighbors are also fighting at the front, several hundred kilometers away. Four employees were killed. And Huizinga and his associates try to provide as much help as possible. Generators, food packages: they found their way to Ukraine via Huizinga’s farm. “We also regularly help the army. With night vision goggles, cars and we gave five trucks.” Additional advantage: “Because we actively support the army, the chance that our employees will be called up for military service is smaller.”
War fatigue
When the frequently mentioned ‘war fatigue in the west’ is discussed, Huizinga becomes excited. “I can’t imagine anything about that. Tired of war? The media wrote about this from day one. What do you get then? That you wake up and think you’re just getting tired of war? Stop.”
“You know, there are a lot of people who think a lot about a lot of things. And that pollutes the media. And then you can no longer see the forest for the trees. I can also tell you that things aren’t going to turn out well or something, but that doesn’t help anyone, right?”
“Yes, you notice that there is fatigue, that the war is taking its toll. Throughout Ukraine, but especially in the south and east. People are having a hard time, everything you have to buy is more expensive. And help is desperately needed, for many people. For all of Ukraine: it is a matter of death or survival.”
Three days after the conversation with Kees Huizinga took place, Shahed drones flew over his farm two evenings in a row. A drone was shot down over his country. “The fact that we don’t notice much of this has unfortunately been overtaken by reality,” Huizinga reports via the app.
Help Ukraine, right now!
Today marks 672 days since Russia invaded Ukraine en masse. Tens of thousands of Ukrainians have been killed since then, towns and cities have been destroyed and millions of people have fled. Last year we used the proceeds from the Christmas campaign Help Ukraine NOW! can help thousands of people. By building houses, supplying generators, food aid, supporting local initiatives and much more.
We would like to do that again with the campaign ‘Help Ukraine, right now!’ At a time when support from the West appears to be waning, aid is even more important. This year, special attention is paid to the fate of children affected by the war. And just like last year, we will, in collaboration with partners, provide emergency aid and bring medical materials.
The Aid Foundation DVHN, FD and LC , which emerged from the first action, has ANBI status. Donations can be deposited at the foundation’s NL69 ABNA 0122 807138 or via the QR code on the donation page.
Read the payment instructions carefully: to keep the costs for the donation platform low, Whydonate charges a voluntary contribution of 15 percent on top of your donation as standard. You can set this to 0 yourself. The promotion runs until December 31, 11:59 PM.
You can donate by clicking here or scan the QR code.
The foundation’s annual financial report, including all expenditure, will be ready early next year.