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Gaining perspective about my time in Ukraine

/ Lianne / Leave a comment

As I continue to explore the theme ‘Surrender,’ and it being 3 months since I went to Ukraine, I have finally got time to reflect and write about it.  I’ve got to be honest with you. I have struggled writing about my experience in Ukraine because my experience was completely different to what I had expected it would be. It’s taken me some time to understand it; to understand what I did experience versus what I wanted to experience.

When I went to Ukraine, I was faced with some unforeseen challenges that shaped my experience into something completely different to what I had expected it would be. To appreciate it and learn from it, I’ve had to acknowledge how focusing on my expectations and not on what it was, led to some feelings of disappointment, like it was ‘less.’ My expectations were that I would meet and get to know many more Ukrainians than I did. I would spend much more time with them than I did. I would be able to interview them in the way that I normally do. When this did not happen as much as I wanted it to happen, I felt disappointed and frustrated and this blinded me to what my experience really was and the insights and lessons available to me. I had to let go of my expectations for me to see it for what it is and the value in the experience.

Since getting back to South Africa, I’ve also had to get stuck into my photography work. I have been completely focused on my day job (!) which is an agricultural and commercial photographer! Simply put, I’ve needed to replenish the bank account since going to Europe and it’s absorbed me and it’s been necessary!  At the same time, I often think of the incredible Ukrainians I met and how I want to tell you about them; how what they are experiencing is real and heart breaking. How tears rolled down an old man’s eyes when I told him that people as far as the southern tip of Africa, are thinking of them, support them and care about what is happening to them.

I need to tell you about my experience in Ukraine, that was neither what I expected nor what you would expect from a photographer and writer going to a warzone. I need to let go of all those expectations and write from the heart and tell you what this time was for me in the way of the Ukrainians I met, the volunteers I met and how this experience has taught me so much about my own life and what I will do (and what I won’t do) in the future. I have come back to South Africa knowing so much more about myself and about how to go forward with Rosie Goes and of course, so much more about the Ukrainians and what they are experiencing.

When I was debating whether to go to Ukraine or not, I asked myself some hard questions. Why would I go to Ukraine? I hardly knew anything about it prior to this war.

I was invited to join a group of volunteers (who are also my incredible friends!) and who were raising funds and delivering food and essential supplies to Ukraine from Germany and the Czech Republic every two weeks on their weekends. Other than that and the news, I honestly knew very little about Ukraine – probably not enough in most people’s minds to go there and experience it during a war.

There were many possible reasons for me to do something like this. Reasons that would justify me going and reasons that would not. Was this trip aligned with Rosie Goes and the theme I am exploring, ‘To surrender.’ Or was it something else? Was it many things? Why would I do such a thing as a South African who knew very little about Ukraine?

Some people have put it down to a midlife crisis. And maybe that’s part of it, although I would not call it a crisis, but rather a massive life change that is aligned with being true to myself and choosing not to live my life in a box that I did not fit. A crisis would also suggest that once I’ve got this trip and experience out of my system, I would come to my senses. I’d remember the plot, and get back in my box! But this is the thing, this is not a once off – this is a way of life I am choosing, one that fulfils me, and gives me a purpose that sets my soul on fire!

Another reason for me going to Ukraine, is literally because I asked for it. I put it out there that I wanted an experience that was ‘out of Africa’ and that would give me insight into the theme ‘surrender/acceptance.’ My ‘out of Africa experience’ came via Facebook a couple weeks later, though at the time, I was not clear how Ukraine was linked to the topic I am exploring.

I was invited to go to Ukraine but I needed to get there within the next couple of weeks. In 2 weeks, I needed to get my finances in order, receive an invitation from the Ukraine government, drive to Joburg and apply for a Ukrainian visa, then apply for a Schengen visa which can take weeks …all in the month of April when South Africa is full up with public holidays and literally shuts down for the month! I decided to go if the ‘seemingly impossible’ happened in the time it needed to happen and if things just flowed! And it did, like magic! I took it as a sign that this is something I should do.

The ultimate decision maker came in the way of a brief interaction with a fuel pump attendant. I had just filled up my tank and was evidently surprised by the price of fuel and the amount I needed to pay. The man looked at me, then said, ‘We should be supporting Russia. If we support what they are doing in Ukraine, we would not be paying these prices.’

I did not react to his comment but it gave me absolute clarity about what I feel strongly about and that Ukraine feels so far away from us and so foreign to us South Africans. It’s easy to make a thoughtless comment that suggests it’s okay for the Russians to kill Ukrainians in a hostile land grab, because we cannot see their faces. It’s easy to make a comment without thinking about what you are really saying and supporting.  It’s also easy to turn our heads away from abuse, because it serves us. To side with the bully, and they feed us their crumbs and fool us into thinking it’s loaves of bread, until it happens to you. That day when you are fighting for your life and I turn my head and walk away because it does not serve me to stand up for you.

I realised that I simply had an opportunity that not many others have had, to know more. To put a face to the Ukrainians, and when we are commenting about what to support and what not to support, we see a person.

“Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.”
― Virginia Woolf

In the next couple posts, I will continue to share with you what I did experience and how it’s taught me some more about what it is to surrender to ‘what is’ before we can move forward. How having expectations about how something should be, can stop us seeing what we need to see and not always what we want to see.

Arrested in Ukraine

/ Lianne / Leave a comment

It’s taken me a few days to wind down after the last couple weeks and to process the time I was in Ukraine. Soon after I left Ukraine, I felt ready to go home – to be in my own bed, to be around people who speak the same language as me and to simply be in a place that feels familiar. Thankfully I was convinced to stay longer in Europe and to spend some days writing notes and getting clarity on what this time has been and what I have learned through having this experience of going to Ukraine now.

In hindsight, I had expectations of what this trip would be like. I know now that having any expectations at all, was somewhat naive! After all, the only solid plan I had was to get to Ukraine, to interview the internally displaced Ukrainians for 2 days and to fly back to South Africa at the end of the month. There was a big blank space on the timeline and with that, the good possibility that I’d experience many things that I had not expected! Did I ever mention to you that I have mostly been with a group of dedicated Czech and German volunteers squatting in Slovakia and delivering food and supplies across the Slovakian/Ukrainian border post to places in Ukraine that are not being serviced by the bigger NGO’s?!!! To complicate matters, I am an African passport holder and this came with a whole set of unexpected challenges! Let’s just say that the Slovakian border post officials were not that happy about me being there and I was met with long, intent gazes – not the admiring kind! But I will save that for another post!

Before I got to Ukraine, I expected ‘communication’ to be difficult since I only speak English, but I really had no idea to what extent this would challenge me; how I would be heavily dependent on translators to communicate, but would not have them for the most part!  That meant that verbal communication was mostly ‘out.’ Instead, I needed to focus and rely on non-verbal communication and to find the unspoken story. I needed to pay attention to the tone in someone’s voice, their gestures, the lines on their face, their hand signals, their expressions, their body language, their actions and the way they choose to spend their time. There were times when I managed just fine, but there were also times that ‘communication’ was urgently needed but just not possible!

Last but not least, I knew that I was going into a war zone but I had no real idea of what to expect. I was ‘green’ as you get. I quickly learned that travelling in a war zone comes with its own set of rules, of things to be aware of and things not to do. Though I did not go to any of the ‘hot zone,’ areas that are under attack or being occupied by Russian forces, there are constant reminders that you are in a country that is being violently invaded and the danger you feel is real. Tensions are high and most Ukrainians are on high alert.  

My first day in Ukraine jolted me into reality, that I was actually in a war zone and needed to treat this experience as “someone’ in a war zone, and not as a tourist exploring a new country! Don’t get me wrong, I was already terrified. The fear of the unknown was immense and the friends who had travelled with me to Ukraine, had already crossed the border with a dozen boxes of cats and dogs and were hundreds of miles away from me, on the road back to Germany.

I was alone in Ukraine. A mother of 2, a blogger, a South African who does not speak a stitch of Ukrainian and who was travelling in a war zone with zero friends or connections! It was during those first couple days that I self-diagnosed myself as stark-raving mad, but that kind of thinking did not make me feel better or braver or change the fact that ‘it’s too late baby girl, you’re already in Ukraine. Now put your ‘big girl panties’ on and deal with what you have asked for!’

On my first day there I woke up to the sound of an alarm. Not the usual sounding Samsung alarm that gently nudges me from my slumber and into the new day, but the sound of a ‘missile alarm,’ alerting us of a missile on its way to somewhere in our region and that we should take cover immediately! But where was the damn bomb shelter anyway?

A ‘missile warning’ usually means you have between 5 – 20 minutes before the missile reaches its target. This got me good! I was already a wreck knowing that the night before, it had taken me over half an hour to ask the receptionist via google translate whether I could stay for another night in their accommodation! Did I even have enough time to ask the receptionist this question?!

First lesson: Find out if there is a bomb shelter and if so, where is it?

My second big lesson of the day came during an afternoon stroll in the town, when I took a photo of a dandelion, lit in golden light and perfectly positioned in front of an old garden gate that led to a cute match-box Ukrainian-looking house. It was picture perfect and I instinctively lifted up my camera and clicked the shutter button!

At that moment, another alarm went off. It was the voice of a very, very angry sounding woman. I turned around and saw that she was shouting at me while vigorously waving her pointed finger up and down. I did not know what she was saying, but it didn’t take me long to realise that she was unhappy about me taking a photo. I tried to explain to her in English that ‘I mean no harm, that I am just taking a photo of a flower,’ but it fell on deaf ears and her shouting got louder and louder the more I spoke. I decided it was best just to keep quiet, to put my camera away and to continue walking down the street. That’s when I noticed her take out her phone and make a call. I had a bad feeling that this was not the end of it and I was right!

Minutes later, I watched in disbelief as a car came racing up to me at full speed then slammed on breaks in front of me. Two big armed men got out and approached me. They were also very angry. I realized then that these two men were in the military. They started shouting something at me in Ukrainian and I said to them “I’m sorry, I can’t understand you, I can only speak English.”

“Passport,” they shouted. “Give me passport.”

And then I realized, I had left my passport at the ‘accommodation’ and only had a photocopy of my passport! One of the few things I had been told to do, was to always carry my passport with me and I had forgotten the damn thing in my room! I fumbled in my camera bag for the photocopy, noticing how me doing this seemed to make them even more suspicious of me, as if I was about to whip out a gun and start shooting.

I handed them the photocopy, trying hard to stop my hands from shaking. At this point, I think my body clicked into survival mode, I started to breathe very slowly and spoke calmly and clearly ‘that my passport was not with me but I have this.’ I remembered the time I was almost arrested in Mozambique for taking a picture of a statue and how my reaction to the police threatening me, was angry and aggressive and only made the situation worse. I thought to myself, ‘No, don’t be that. Be calm and be friendly.’

They took the photocopy and looked at it and then looked at me as if I was stupid, or the enemy, or an illegal immigrant from Africa – I can’t be sure – and they said, “Get in this car.”

Now I was really scared. I was about to get in the car with 2 armed men, not knowing where they were taking me. I thought to phone a friend, but they were on the other side of the world from me and wouldn’t be able to help even if they wanted to! I thought of sending them a ‘location pin’ of the place I was last at… before she disappeared in a strange car, never to be seen again! Or I could just talk to them, be respectful, smile and be very unthreatening. I realized that that was really my only option! And in that moment, I felt very grateful for almost being arrested in Mozambique and learning what not to do in a situation like this!

I looked at the reflection of the military man in the rearview mirror and smiled nervously at him, then told him “I am now very scared. I have never been arrested before! I think I am going to be the first South African arrested in Ukraine!”

At this this point, something seemed to click and his face relaxed just slightly and he told me, “You, no scared.”

They took me to the military headquarters…which was not so far from the place I was taking photos at. Their extreme and aggressive reaction to me taking photos of a dandelion started to make more sense to me. How strange must it have been for a foreign-looking woman walking towards the military headquarters taking photos of flowers and buildings during a war! For the next hour, I was questioned by someone in the military who could thankfully speak English. They then called the commander-in-chief to interview me too, and to double check that I am who I am – a particularly naive photographer from South Africa genuinely taking photos of a dandelion in a war zone!

I showed them pictures of my kids, my dog and a lion I had spotted in the Kruger National Park in 2020 and invited them all on Safari once the war is over! They seemed to like this and they finally believed that I am who I am and told me not to take photos near the military again. They then offered me coffee and cigarettes. But I declined their offer and told them, ‘No, now what I really need is Vodka!’

Lion in the Kruger National Park

I was relieved beyond words when this arrest was ‘diffused’ and it finally ended with a warning and some laughs! I think it was a good lesson to learn early on and besides, I needed a reality check. I was in a damn warzone, not on tour! Going forward, I would be very, very cautious about taking photos. It was only once I was in the Czech Republic that I dared take a photo of a dandelion again, a whole magnificent field of them!

I also learned that there have been cases of Russians posing as journalists with cameras in hand, walking down the streets as I did and identifying new targets for missiles. With this in mind, I fully understood why things unfolded like they did and I commend the Ukrainian military for taking something like this so seriously and for being so professional about it. I also began to understand the brutality of this war and what the Ukrainians are up against. This is a ruthless war, with every target being intentional, exposing the real reason for this war and not the propaganda Russia would like the world to believe. When buildings that house civilians are targeted, when children are deliberately killed, when busses full of civilians trying to flee the conflict are hit – Putin’s true intention is revealed. Actions speak louder than any words. And the streets are stained with blood.

Rosie Goes to Ukraine: Pets reunited with their owners

/ Lianne / Leave a comment

After a very long wait at the border, Daniel, Patrik and crew were finally on their way with 27 dogs and cats on board! When it comes to reuniting dogs and cats with their Ukrainian owners outside of Ukraine or finding new homes for war-related abandoned animals, (outside of Ukraine) the challenges are endless. Firstly, one person is limited to 5 animals when crossing the border. This means volunteers were necessary for Daniel and Patrik to get the total number of 47 animals across the border and that would give them enough time to drive the long trip home and to be home by Monday morning in time for their regular jobs.

But a border crossing is most often never simple, regardless of where you are! No matter what good intentions you have, there is a long list of ‘can-do’s and cannot-do’s’ that we are all expected to know, but don’t! Daniel and Patrik used the Ubla/Slovakian border post which is by no way going to be a quick and casual border crossing. I know from my own experience, having had to wait while the Slovakian border officials assessed my ‘strange and very foreign’ African passport for over an hour with various officials poking their head around the corner to have a look at me! They certainly take their job seriously which I suppose is necessary, especially in times like these. But it can be quite intimidating at times and it certainly does not happen quickly.

Daniel, Patrik and crew only managed to get 27 out of 47 dogs and cats across the border. They were delayed by 19 hours for a number of reasons, including waiting for the animals to be approved for border crossing and not enough volunteers to help with taking 5 animals each. It was a difficult decision to make, but they had to make the decision to leave the animals that were not yet through. They still had a 15 – 20 hour drive back home and needed to be back at work by Monday. Time was now of essence. This would have been very difficult news to break to some of the Ukrainians hoping to be reunited with their animals.

Ready for loading…
Waiting for dogs and cats to cross border

Many of these animals from Ukraine are as traumatized as their humans are. With the constant bombardment of missiles, of explosions, of shattering shards of window glass, with walls that shake and shudder – it is a truly terrifying world to be in. If I think of how animals behave on Guy Fawkes Day and New Years Eve with a few fireworks here and there, I cannot even begin to imagine their state of being during a war like this. Regarding the pets, many of them are traumatised, some on edge and aggressive and some becoming more and more reclusive, overwhelmed and alone – in a state of shock.

Though I know this would have been difficult for Daniel and Patrik to return with less animals than what they wanted to return with, they did return with 27 animals. I imagine that these are some of the very difficult decisions people are forced to make during war; who to take and who to leave behind.

The vehicle arrived at the designated meeting place and the doors of the van were finally opened, with light flooding in and the sound of familiar voices – the sound of their humans! Daniel describes the incredible few minutes of witnessing these animals that have been in a severely depressed state, of them hearing their owners voices for the first time and the realization that comes over them like a tidal wave of emotion, that they are not alone and not abandoned, they have been found.

And this is my favourite! I would love to have been here to witness this myself, but I can imagine these moments of pure joy to be reunited after such a terrifying experience. Something very good to happen in a time of such uncertainty, change and grief. These are the moments that keep them going!

Home is where your heart is…

Daniel and Patrik will be making another trip to Ukraine next month. They will be using the money donated to buy food and essentials for the Ukrainians. Please continue to support the Ukrainians, this is a long haul and they need our support. Soon, I will be sharing some stories and experiences of the Ukrainian refugees I have met and exactly how the global community and volunteers have helped them and how this support must continue for them to carry on as they have.

Please support Daniel and Patrik’s Go fund me account. Click here: Daniel and Patrik Go Fund Me website

Lianne Ashton is the author and photographer for Rosie Goes. She is a freelance photographer and writer currently based in Ukraine and neighbouring countries.

Rosie goes to Ukraine: Separated

/ Lianne / Leave a comment

This mission is no ordinary mission. Other than transporting food and essentials to refugees in Ukraine, the plan for this trip is to bring back a total of 40 cats and dogs and to reunite some of them with their Ukrainian owners who are currently based in Germany and to find new homes for the rest of them. It will take them a minimum of 17 hours to drive back to Germany with these animals, no easy task by any means.

*Anna who is one of the Ukrainians hoping to be reunited with her dog and her cat, has offered to join us on this trip and to go back to Ukraine. Her and her family recently fled the terror unfolding in Kharkiv and have been staying in Germany for the time being. She is not only determined to bring her own animals back but she understands how Daniel, Patrik  and Mimi will need help doing this, especially since Patrik lives in the Czech Republic and Daniel and his girlfriend who is a videographer will still need to travel another 600 kilometers further to get to Munich. They could certainly do with the extra hands of handling 40 dogs and cats on a 17 hour car trip.

It’s now just after midnight and we have arrived in Ukraine. Soon I will be on my own. The plan is to drop all the food supplies off with the Chop Municipality, drop me off at a hotel, collect 40 dogs and cats and for them to be on their way back ‘home.’

This has been my choice all along. I could either make this a very short experience and go back with them on this trip or I could stay and make my own way back to Munich in time for my flight back home. I could follow through with my plan to meet individual Ukrainians, hear their stories; about their life before the 24th February 2022, their experiences of the war, of leaving the life they know and not knowing if there will be anything to come back to. Of escaping terror and making decisions about what to take and what to leave and what is really important and what is not? How did they get here, what was their journey like? How have they coped with the temporary life they are stuck in, how do they cope with the atrocities they have witnessed and experienced, will they go back if they can? Is there anything left to go back to? This is what I would like to know and what I’d like to share with you in the coming weeks.

I have no real plan, other than to be here and to go with the flow. I will meet many people along the way and see where this takes me, with my intention being that I’d like you to discover the story of war and the very people experiencing it. I want you to come on this journey with me, and feel close to it, even if you are on the other side of the world. I want you to get to know the Ukrainians and who they are. I want you to know war.

It’s an emotional goodbye for all of us. In the space of 48 hours, we have gotten to know each other and have become friends. It’s quite remarkable how in a short space of time, friendship comes easy despite our different backgrounds. We all have one thing in common, to support Ukraine in whichever way can. Each of us has the ability to do that in our own way, but ‘this minivan,’ is how we’d get there! We are a group of 5. One Israeli who spent much of his childhood in Russia, a Czech fitness specialist, a Dutch videographer, a Ukrainian refugee and a South African.

Anna who speaks little English, has been telling us her story and experiences of the war so far. She is from the city of Kharkiv and speaks Russian. Daniel has been translating for us. It is the first story of many to come.

I notice how she is well presented, dressed smartly and has applied make up and jewelry. She sits in the front staring hard at the road ahead, holding back the emotion bubbling inside her, the fear and uncertainty of what is still to come. She has just received news from the people who have been caring for her dog and her cat, that her cat has gone missing and will not be leaving Ukraine with her.  Here begins a story of ‘separation.’ Of being separated from the people (and pets) you love and the fear of not seeing them again. Her husband who is not of Ukraine nationality is stuck in the Eastern parts of Ukraine, unable to get to Anna and their young children. Her beloved cat has disappeared into the rubble of Kharkiv, traumatized and shaken by the constant bombardment of missiles. And then there is her sister and her sister’s family who lived near Mariupol. Anna’s words start to tumble out now, speaking faster and faster as the emotion inside her wells up, and cracks.

She does not know where they are, only that they have been taken to Russia.

Anna’s sister and sister’s family were meant to meet them on the way to Germany. But they never arrived. They waited 3 days for them and eventually had to make the very difficult decision to continue on without them. 3 weeks prior to this, she had spoken to her sister on the phone to find out how she was. She had been emotional and frightened at the time, traumatized by constant explosions and sounds of war and never knowing from which direction danger will come from next. There small community had been surrounded by Russian forces, spreading like liquid poison, seeping into every crack and crevice and destroying everything they come into contact with.

“I want to die, I can’t do this anymore, this is too much,” cried Anna’s sister.

“Then come with us” said Anna, “come with us to Europe. We will wait for you.”

But they never arrived. Anna and her children made the decision to continue on with their journey.

They did not hear from her sister for another 3 weeks. All communication in that area had been cut and calls are no longer possible. The silence was heavy, with fears of whether they are safe and whether they are even still alive.

Eventually that call came, and though it was a huge relief to know that her sister and her family are still alive, the news was not good.

They had been found and captured by the Russians and had been made to march through forests and fields of landmines.  They were then loaded onto a train, among many others at gunpoint and taken to Russia. It is from Russia that her sister called Anna to tell her what had happened and that they are no longer in Ukraine. The group of people who had been on the train with them were not with them anymore. They have all been sent to different locations so that they cannot communicate with each other. Her sister was vague with information, knowing that the call was being closely monitored and that she cannot give any information about her location or what is being planned for these Ukrainians or what is happening to them.

Listening to Anna, I soon realized how this trip was so much more than just fetching her pet/s. In a time of war, your human rights are lost, you become dispensable and you are one of thousands experiencing the trauma and terror of war. Where fairness and justice does not exist, where you live in fear from hour to hour and day to day. And you know that you and your family are just a number in the eyes of the enemy, that nothing can be done. And when it comes to your loved ones, you are often powerless when it comes to saving or helping them.

But this is the extraordinary thing I am discovering about Ukrainians. There are small victories everywhere by the way they are focusing on what they still can do and what can never be taken from them. Their human rights may have been violated, but ‘who they are’ as people is strong and is the very medicine that keeps them sane, that keeps them from falling apart, that allows them to nurture and care for one another through this time of crisis.

I realized that Anna was doing this; she was empowering herself by doing what she still can do. She may not be able to help her sister right now, but she can help her pets and other Ukrainian’s pets. She can help make a reunion possible and bring some joy to a few fellow Ukrainians in a dire situation. She can still do something, and she is fiercely and lovingly doing it. This, I am quickly discovering, is the spirit of Ukrainians.

Rosie Goes to Ukraine: Tonight we drive

/ Lianne / Leave a comment
Daniel Nove

This is Daniel doing his thing! This is a project that takes a fair bit of coordinating, planning and importantly, raising funds to purchase and transport food and essential supplies through to Ukraine for some of the thousands of displaced Ukrainians. This project is a private project that was initiated by a pair of friends who simply wanted to get involved and help. It seems strange that in a time of crisis and war, when our humanity is under direct attack – that it claws its way out through the cracks and grows bit by bit through acts of kindness and support from strangers, how it gives life to unity and belonging. How all our differences become completely irrelevant in a time of war, and instead our shared humanity brings us together and brings us strength in the darkest of times. This is when despite the destruction, fear and uncertaintity that prevails, our human spirit grows and gets stronger and carries us through…

Rosie Goes…

Please support Daniel and Patrik’s Go Fund me account for the next trip into Ukraine. This weekend I’m joining them. We are leaving tonight and will arrive in Ukraine late tomorrow evening. Tonight we drive to the Czech Republic where we will do the shopping for this trip. We will also pick up Patrik. Then we drive through Slovakia and into Ukraine, arriving very late on a Saturday night. The great news is that the curfew has been lifted from 11pm to 5pm to no curfew. This will take some of the pressure off to get there quickly. From there, I will be staying in Ukraine but Daniel, Patrik and a few others will be transporting 40 dogs and cats back to Germany where they will be reunited with their Ukrainian owners. Watch this space!

It’s all really starting to feel real! I have no idea what to expect but I know that it will affect me deeply. I am going to keep you updated as much as possible and will hopefully help bring Ukraine and what the Ukrainians are experiencing closer to home. Please share this with anyone you think may be interested in following this journey. Your support is a great help!

And last but not least, let’s help Daniel and Patrik fill the mini man! Here is their Go Fund Me account.

https://gofund.me/04735571

Rosie Goes to Ukraine: I’m on my way

/ Lianne / Leave a comment

If someone had told me 3 weeks ago that I would soon be boarding a plane and heading North to Ukraine, I’d probably laugh. But that’s it, I’m not going to laugh anymore because I am discovering that since starting Rosie Goes – the most incredulous things happen at exactly the right time, taking me on a journey with a very definite purpose – in pursuit of humanKIND.

A few weeks ago, ‘I put it out there,’ (asked the universe, prayed…what ever is right for you) that I would like an opportunity that is aligned with Rosie Goes and that will help me kickstart this project. My answer came via Facebook! I casually commented on the post of a couple friends in Europe who have started up a Go Fund Me account and a project for refugees in Ukraine. For 2 weeks, these guys collect donations from the likes of you and I, or anyone who wants to help the Ukrainians, then go on a ‘mad’ shopping trip in Germany or where ever, packing the mini van to the hilt with everything and anything.

Just an interesting, random fact – there are limits on the amount of sugar you can buy in a supermarket in both Germany and Hungary, between 2 and 10kg’s but in the Czech Republic, there seems to be no limit…all these factors influence the route they choose to take into Ukraine. The list varies every week and it includes everything from cell phone chargers to body bags. The list alone tells a story. It tells us a story of grave danger, of packing in a panic. Of leaving things like a cell phone charger…which for many of us, is the very first thing we pack, something we absolutely cannot do without! But these people only had one thing in mind – to get away. To get their family; their children, their parents, their wives and their friends away from the terror unfolding on their doorstep.  

Ironically, the theme I am exploring right now is ‘Surrendering to what is before you can move forward.’ And ‘surrendering’ is not a word I would choose when talking to the Ukrainians about what I am exploring and writing about. I’m going into war zone, not a ‘surrender’ site. But that’s it, ‘surrendering’ is not giving up.

For me this process of getting to the point of getting on a plane and ‘going,’ has been the most incredible example of ‘surrendering’ to what is. I have simply followed what I have learned so far on this journey. If you keep on hitting a brick wall, it is a sure sign that you are going in the wrong direction. When there is ‘resistance,’ there is not acceptance and things will keep on going wrong or a ‘negative narrative’ born in the past that starts to look like a negative pattern in your life, continues to be proven right -such as ‘nothing ever goes right for me,’ or ‘I’m not good enough for this,’ or consistently blaming others for where you are today, or not where you are. All this points to us not being aligned with our true self and ‘resisting the flow,’ opposed to going with the ‘flow.’

For this Ukraine experience to happen, I have completely ‘surrendered’ to it. I said to myself that I will do everything that I can do to make it happen. I will give it my best shot and commit to it…and I will go if I am meant to go. It was quite unlikely at first, to be honest. I had to get a Ukrainian visa first, and then a Schengen Visa which on average takes a few weeks to get. And to get these 2 visas’, I needed to get an official invite from the Ukrainian government first, I needed finances, insurance and whole lot to fall into place on the ‘home front’ for this to be possible. To add to the challenge, there are umpteen public holidays in South Africa in the month of April and so even less time to get it all done in time for the next trip into Ukraine.

But it has all happened in time. Not without an effort, but it certainly has happened. I am here, about to board a plane and go to Ukraine. I have surrendered to what ever ‘flows,’ paid attention to the timing of things and have connected with people a long the way who ultimately have helped me forward and get to this point.

I am feeling a lot of gratitude right now…and purpose.

I will be updating this site regularly and from here on I hope to take you on a journey into Ukraine, a journey that will make what is happening in Ukraine feel closer, feel real and on a journey that you will get to know the Ukrainians as individuals.

On that note, I must swig back this cup of coffee and get on my way! It’s time to get moving with Rosie Goes, in pursuit of humankind!

Next up:

Daniel will be transporting a dozen cats and dogs to Munich to be reunited with their owners. Update from Daniel below.

“We are going on the 7th-8th of May to Chop (Ukraine) with humanitarian help (food and other supplies).

This time, there is an additional mission:

Anna contacted me to help bring ten dogs and ten cats to their owners that are already in Munich.

The back story is that many people have left and did not have the chance to take their animals with them.

Many of these animals are in contested areas or temporary shelters.

Volunteers are collecting them on the Ukrainian side, then under the coordination of Nadya, bringing them to the border. We will meet with those volunteers and then deliver the cats and dogs to their owners in Munich.

Challenge accepted (although I am slightly scared).

Thank you all for your support!

Your donations are of immense help in making it happen.”

Please share 🙂

GO FUND ME ACCOUNT LINK….CLICK HERE!

Rosie Goes to Ukraine

/ Lianne / Leave a comment

I never aced it! For the English language I was never more than a ‘C’ student with the exception of one oral for which I cracked a record ‘A.’ It was a monologue style oral that we could be ‘anyone’ and speak about ‘anything.’ The character I chose for my monologue back in 1996 was the ‘leader’ of a deadly virus outbreak, one that targeted humanity and strived for absolute destruction. In this monologue, I plotted, I planned and I spoke openly of my demented attack on the human population and how I was determined to defeat it at whatever cost, so long as I won. Other than that fleeting moment of glory of receiving a grand ‘A,’ I was generally as average as it comes in the way of language!

And yet here I am. I choose to write. I choose language as a way to express myself and a means of sharing with you what I learn along the way on this new journey called Rosie Goes.

I am not choosing any language, I am choosing one that we all speak, understand and identify with: our humanity – the most powerful language of all languages because of its ability to connect us and help us understand each other despite our immense differences. I believe in this language and I am going to bring you stories that speak of our humanity. I am going to take you on a journey that you will meet people from all walks of life. Their stories will resonate with you and evoke empathy and compassion even though their lives are so completely different to yours and seemingly, so foreign.

Rosie Goes

A couple a months ago, I felt like I had hit a brick wall. I was struggling to focus on my agricultural photography – which is critical in the way of paying bills and the soon-to be exorbitant high school fees that start next year! (South African’s will know what I am talking about!) And yet at the same time, I have made a huge life change to do what I am absolutely passionate about doing and to do what I believe in and what I believe will be successful because of what it is and what the intention is.

For a while, I had been feeling ‘stuck’ and conflicted, as if I was in a tug of war between focusing on what feels true versus focusing on my fear of not being able to pay the bills that keep on coming! I realized that I needed to face my fears and to trust in the process. I needed to ‘commit’ to what I have started, to take a big leap of faith and dive head first into Rosie Goes, and just start swimming!  It was also around that time that I put it ‘out there’ that I want the right connections, those aligned with Rosie Goes and our universal language, to cross my path and to help me kickstart this journey.

I started with Jene Frost’s story, a story about a woman who was paralyzed at the age of 15 years old and her experience of surrendering to what is so that she could move forward. Jene’s story is the perfect story for the ‘surrender theme’ I am exploring right now. I am in awe of how her positive and strong mindset, bound together with a deep sense of acceptance and endless loving support from the people in her life, has enabled her to move forward in great big strides.

I am also about to dive head first into something else, something quite unexpected and what initially felt quite terrifying! As it happened, I was checking Facebook when my friend Daniel Nove’s post popped up. Daniel is an old friend of mine who I met when I lived in Mozambique for 12 years and who now lives in Germany. The Facebook post was of a picture of Daniel standing next to a lady who was travelling with a ‘ton’ of cat boxes with cats in them. Intrigued, I read his post. I discovered that Daniel and friend Patrik, have started a Go Fund me account for Ukrainian refugees in the Western Ukraine city of Chop. Every two weeks they stock up with food supplies and essentials with the donated funds from the likes of you and I and drive to Ukraine to deliver the supplies to the city council. These supplies go towards feeding and helping the thousands of Ukrainians who have escaped the ‘terror’ happening in the East of Ukraine and in Kyiv and who are seeking safety and shelter during this unpredictable and volatile time. It was a picture of one of the many Ukrainians that Daniel and Patrik have assisted since starting this initiative. I pressed the ‘Heart’ button and casually commented on the post, something along the lines of, ‘Wow, I would love to get involved with something like this, well done!’

Daniel replied, ‘Really?’

Casually, I replied ‘Yes,’ not thinking too much about what I was actually saying ‘yes’ to.

Truthfully, Ukraine felt so foreign to me, so far away. I empathized with the Ukrainians because of the obvious terror we can see they are experiencing through the media, and because in a very small way, I understand a little bit of what they are experiencing…of being threatened and needing to leave our home very quickly because of a death threat and crossing the border into a neighboring country. I remember the fear I felt, especially for my children and I remember the support we had from friends during this frightening time. Both were equally powerful. But it still felt like just another heartbreaking news story, another attack on humanity happening on the other side of the world, so far away and something that did not feel like it really impacted my life other than the escalating fuel price!

There was a long pause – a few days that the ‘thread’ went quiet and ‘everyday’ life continued.

Then I got another message from Daniel. “Hey, how serious were you when you said you would like to get involved? We have a space for you in the minivan. Would you like to join us?”

I thought about it and all the things that scared me. The fear of the unknown, the volatility and unpredictable nature of war, the potential dangers, not knowing the language, knowing very little about Ukraine itself like its geography, its history, its economy and then of course, there is the issue of my own finances! How on earth can I afford this anyway?! I thought of a thousand reasons why I should not do this. But I also thought of the two reasons why I should do this. Firstly, I asked for it and this is what is showing up. If I am going to live by what I believe, then I should pay attention to what comes up and trust the process. If things flow, then it is meant to be. And secondly, could there be a better way than going somewhere I know little about in the way of language and culture and to meet and interview people with a very different way of life to that of mine here in Africa, by going somewhere that I will need to rely on what we have in common – our humanity – and connect with the people I meet on that level and with that approach? I think this is exactly what I will do.

I surrendered and went with the flow. I will go to Ukraine if it’s meant to be.

And this is the extraordinary thing so far, everything is flowing!!!! The most impossible things are falling into place. From getting an official invite from the Ukraine government, from visa’s, to some very unexpected and appreciated financial help, to receiving the information I needed exactly when I needed it, to finding a kick-ars independent travel agent, from having incredible support from family and friends and with no need to convince them, to meeting the Ukrainians that I have met since committing to Ukraine. How they gave me their time and their stories and how they spoke the language I know and understand, one of humanity. How I learned so much about Ukraine through these peoples honest and vulnerable account of what is happening to their ‘home’ and to the people in Ukraine. How what they are experiencing is often the brutal absence of humanity but in the absence of humanity also comes the spirit of humanity, with magnificent accounts of love, kindness, generosity, support from strangers and unity.

I am not going to go to Ukraine to give you a news report. I am going to go to Ukraine with the intention of taking you on a very honest journey. An intimate journey that you will come to know the people as individuals and not just as a distant country with a lot of people going through something traumatic. I am going to show you connection, resilience, love, support – the incredible spirit of our humanity.

Let’s begin with me sharing Daniel and Patrik’s Go fund me account details. Their next trip is in a few days time.

Click here for the Go Fund me Page – Transport and supplies for Refugees in Ukraine

If you are interested in Ukraine and want to know more than just what is happening there, but meet some of the people experiencing this and follow their stories, Please follow Rosie Goes. I have no idea how this will unfold, but I do know how I will approach it. You can also follow Rosie Goes on Facebook and Instagram as well as through email and be notified when a post is published. Most importantly, please help and Daniel and Patrik fill up the mini van for the next trip which is scheduled for the 22 – 24 of April and make a donation you can afford. I look forward to showing you exactly to who these donations are going to and the incredible human spirit of the Ukrainians.