With more than 400,000 according to social media, someone will drive into the village this morning in Nieuw-Buinen with her truck. It is the Polish Trucking Girl Iwona Blecharczek who has offered help to the village. For a week, goods were collected from Nieuw-Buinen and surrounding villages for the people of Ukraine.
With a big hug, Iwona is greeted by Wioletta Schipper-Dawidowska. A Polish woman who has lived in the Netherlands for more than twenty years. After a week of hard work, the release is great when the famous Trucking Girl shows up with her imposing truck with two trailers. “It’s really fantastic that she wants to do this. And completely free of charge, and that with the expensive petrol prices,” said Schipper.
Over the past week she has collected food and supplies together with many residents of Nieuw-Buinen. More than fifty pallets are full in a warehouse on the Industrieweg. Everything is already sorted. There are boxes for families with small children containing diapers. But also boxes for families with older children. Separate boxes with blankets and sleeping bags, everything has been thought of. It’s a big puzzle but they get it all in Iwona’s truck.
Via Nieuw-Buinen to Poland
Iwona Blecharczek heard about the collection in Nieuw-Buinen through her management. Yesterday she had to unload a load in Rotterdam and offered her help. She could just drive back through Drenthe to pick up the stuff. “I’m very happy and I live in a peaceful country. I’ve managed to have my own truck. I can just do this, so I’ll do it.”
Wioletta Schipper-Dawidowska drives after the truck with a friend. The final destination is the border between Poland and Ukraine. There the things are unloaded and divided by the two women. “Vans will come from Ukraine to pick up the stuff,” it has been agreed. “But how it works in practice remains to be seen,” said Schipper.
Vlogging
Meanwhile, Iwona doesn’t sit still. She helps load her car, but is also busy vlogging about the relief campaign. Photos are also taken that are immediately posted by Iwona on her Facebook and Instagram.
Around noon, Iwona’s big black truck is waved off. In the meantime, they continue to collect in Nieuw-Buinen. Next week they will go that way with a small removal van to help again. And who knows, maybe Iwona will help them again. “I’m only alone, but if I have the opportunity to bring home another car full of stuff, I certainly will.”