THE NATIONAL UNION OF
JOURNALISTS OF UKRAINE
From publishing books in peacetime to volunteering in conditions of full-scale war: Iryna Rabarska, a member of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), who has headed the Pure In Heart charitable foundation in Ivano-Frankivsk, shared the story of her volunteering. Iryna Rabarska has been an active personality since her student days: she was the deputy head of the student council of the Western Ukrainian University of Economics and Law. Later, together with her friends, she participated in the Youth and Power program project, and after its completion, she coordinated the program of the same name. Later, Iryna became an adviser to the city mayor, where she formed and headed the city’s youth executive committee. And later, she headed the Pure In Heart charity foundation, which had already been operating for three years.
Cultural diplomacy from the Pure In Heart foundation
Pure In Heart was founded in February 2013 by the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Hungary in Ivano-Frankivsk, Vasyl Vyshyvaniuk, and his team. When the war started in 2014, the foundation began to assist the affected Ukrainians.
Subsequently, the Children For Peace In The Whole World project was implemented. Children from different regions of Ukraine presented Ukraine abroad. They appealed on behalf of the smallest citizens, requesting European countries to pay attention to the fact that the war was underway.
“There were many opinions in the world that this was a civil war. Therefore, little diplomats, traveling from country to country, talked about what was really happening. In this way, we also helped our younger generation,” said Iryna Rabarska.
There also was the Book of Goodness project.
“The project was initiated by the head of the Center of Ukrainian Culture in Tallinn, Anatolii Liutiuk. During his visit to Ivano-Frankivsk, he said: “We Ukrainians have experienced a lot of grief, but there are also many good stories, so let’s collect them,” recalls the head of the foundation.
The book contained stories about kindness from all over the country – from the First World War to today. The peculiarity of the book is that it was printed on paper drawn from the clothes of the project participants and plants from all over the country. The purpose of publishing the Book of Goodness, copies of which were transferred to the world’s largest libraries, is cultural diplomacy: people from different regions of Ukraine, involved in its creation, presented it abroad. The project participants also donated the Book of Goodness” to Ukrainian schools. The publication was also presented at the NUJU.
According to Iryna, thanks to this project, it is now possible to cooperate with the funds involved in it and do more useful things.
Together with the Center of Ukrainian Culture in Tallinn, the Pure In Heart foundation supported schools in the Donetsk and Luhansk Regions, providing them with computers, tablets, interactive whiteboards, etc. Before the full-scale invasion, aid was provided to 18 local schools.
“Educators and schoolchildren were very impressed by the fact that they are being helped by a foundation from the West of the country. Thanks to this, their consciousness changed, and planted stereotypes were destroyed,” said Iryna.
According to the head of the foundation, unfortunately, those schools that were helped have now all been destroyed.
Contrasts of war
A day before the full-scale invasion, the foundation’s team was in Dnipro – awarding winners within the framework of the Secrets Of Ukraine For You project. We left for Kyiv late in the evening. However, there already was a war in the capital…
“Everyone understood that sooner or later it would happen, but no one thought it would be so large-scale, tragic, and cynical. After arriving in Ivano-Frankivsk, maximum efforts were directed to help those who needed it… Now we spend more time in warehouses, where we form humanitarian aid. Such a contrast compared to the period when ours mainly presented Ukraine to the world,” shares Iryna.
Currently, the Pure In Heart charity foundation’s team has concentrated on helping the affected civilian population, military and medical institutions. The foundation’s friends and partners, with whom they worked for many years, supported the good cause. The aid received was distributed immediately. Iryna says that when her brother joined the Armed Forces as a volunteer, there was not a single necessary thing on the remains. Later, huge truckloads began to arrive, but there were also many appeals for support. Volunteers receive all assistance officially; everything is documented.
Thus, starting from February 24, 2022, the following were purchased, received, and distributed: more than 4,000 tons of food aid; 520 quadcopters; 350 thermal imagers; 5,000 sets of body armor and helmets; 38 vehicles; 152 vacuum devices and additional components; 15 ultrasound machines; 150 tons of medical supplies; 40 generators.
By the way, 500 packages with food and hygiene products – 21 names of the most necessary items – Pure In Heart sent to Mykolayiv journalists. The same packages were also received by all IDP media workers registered in the Ivano-Frankivsk Journalists’ Solidarity Center (JSC) of the NUJU.
The foundation actively supports displaced people in the Ivano-Frankivsk Region, as well as, upon request, in other regions. In particular, aid goes to Kharkiv, Donetsk, Luhansk, Mykolayiv, Odesa, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Poltava, Cherkasy, Dnipropetrovsk, and Mykolayiv Regions.
“Purchased vacuum devices that help faster healing of wounds. This is very relevant for the military as it saves the boys’ legs and arms. We are very pleased that we were able to purchase them and hand them over to medical facilities upon request,” says the volunteer member of the association. “From the very beginning, we worked with IDPs from various regions. Currently, the Kherson Region is helping us a lot concerning the formation of food sets.”
“…all of us have become wiser”
The first days of a full-scale war were shocking, and consciousness refused to accept the reality, although there was an understanding that it was expected. But it is still tricky. Iryna says that constant inclusion in the work aided their team’s emotional resilience.
“I didn’t even understand how the first six months passed. Thanks to work, I didn’t feel as much stress as my friends. It may not be right, but it was important for us to load the truck despite the air raid alerts as we knew it was awaited for in the East or the South. First of all, we have all become more mature; we appreciate life more. We are grateful to everyone who helps us. In memory of all our defenders who gave their lives, we must do everything to restore the country.”
Call the Ivano-Frankivsk JSC by dialing 066 677 0726 (Viktoriya Plakhta, the Ivano-Frankivsk JSC coordinator). The Center’s address is 25 Sichovykh Striltsiv Street.
ABOUT JSC
The Journalists’ Solidarity Centers is an initiative of the NUJU implemented with the support of the International and European Federations of Journalists and UNESCO. The initiative is designated to help media representatives working in Ukraine during the war. The Centers operate in Kyiv, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipro and provide journalists with organizational, technical, legal, psychological, and other types of assistance.
ABOUT UNESCO
UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. It contributes to peace and security by promoting international cooperation in education, sciences, culture, communication, and information. UNESCO promotes knowledge sharing and the free flow of ideas to accelerate mutual understanding. It is the coordinator of the UN Action Plan on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, which aims to create a free and safe environment for journalists and media workers, thus strengthening peace, democracy, and sustainable development worldwide. UNESCO is working closely with its partner organizations in Ukraine to provide support to journalists on the ground.
The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this digest do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city, or area or its authorities or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
The authors are responsible for the choice and the presentation of the facts contained in this digest and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit to the organization.
Iryna Blazhenko
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