Courage doesn't always choose the strong. It gives strength.
Hey everyone.
It feels surreal, but it’s been 500 days since russia began its genocidal full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It’s hard to put it into words what we have gone through over the last 500 days. The price Ukrainians have paid so far in order to fight on is unbearable to think of - most of us have lost friends and family members in this war.
Today, I’d like to say a huge thank you to the Armed Forces of Ukraine - Ukraine simply would not exist by now if not for their sacrifice. I’m also very grateful to everyone who has supported Ukrainians throughout this time. We really, really appreciate it.
Today' I’d like to share an email I once received from an amazing American person (her name is Danielle) - it deeply moved me when I read it (I shared it on Twitter too). Also sharing a few photos (mostly ones I took in Ukraine).
"Just reaching out as an admirer and supporter of yours from across the globe (Massachusetts, USA). I don’t remember when I started following you but I believe it was from a Paul Massaro tweet. One late night like tonight, I began reading your threads, like all of them lol.
I remember the first one, I was about a 1/4 of the way through, I remember thinking - ok, maybe there is some truth to the “accusations”, I just couldn’t tell where you were going, and I almost threw in the towel, I am so glad I didn’t."
You are one of the most intelligent people I’ve found on twitter speaking as and for Ukrainians. While at first I was a bit lost, I eventually understood everything, as your end game is always the same and always the Ukrainian truth.
Even when interacting with non-Ukrainian supporters, who are most likely coming from a good place but let their egos or intent on being right fog up the space, but you continue to clear it right out.
Every thread, if read in its entirety, is not only an epic takedown of Russians or some random asshole, but also the final nail is the main point hammered in, every single time. How russia got us here and how we stop them forever.
I’m just a random person but I thought it was important to reach out to you and let you know to keep up the unbelievable work. You are an absolute force for good, what you are doing is desperately needed in these times and I hope you never stop, even after victory.
There are so many wonderful people like yourself re the war, and only so many hours in the day to interact with their work, even if taking it all in. I just hope you know that you are read, respected and admired.
I almost forgot this and it seems relevant to add, circling back to Paul, he tweeted early on “listen to Ukrainians” and that is the single best piece of advice I’ve heard from a non Ukrainian since 2/24/22.
I have listened and continue to listen, I have learned so much, it’s honestly incalculable.
And through listening to Ukrainians, I’ve been introduced to Lithuanian, Estonian, Latvian, Polish, Georgian voices who echo the same words and stories as the Ukrainians about russia.
The one thread that sticks out is reading the final words of the last Lithuanian partisan, I was dumbfounded, it was so powerful, I found it hard to reconcile that these words were not written today by a Ukrainian, but by a Lithuanian over half a century ago, and these types of threads keep coming and coming, echoing the same messages over and over - and what strikes me is the people who know better have most definitely heard them, which begs the question, how did they let this happen?
Back to these threads of yours and others alike, these shared histories are so important for outsiders like myself to read.
Because if you haven't studied the cultural, historical, linguistic nuances and current events of a foreign country, you cannot understand what is going on, how we got here and the path ahead just from reading a Wikipedia article."
And when you actually put all of this learned information up next to what we, as a society, have let russia get away with, it can only be described as a collective fever dream, mass unadulterated insanity of sorts.
For example, when simply replacing the word Russia with any other country _____, and what they’ve been allowed to get let slide, that’s when it really seeps in.
Alona, I am really sorry. It shouldn’t be like this, and even now with the support, it’s still not even close to enough.
When 10 months into this and still we hear the half empty attempts or excuses from western leaders or their media still somehow not seeming to be fucking getting it, I just have no words.
I don’t know why I wrote all this to you, I know I’m preaching to the choir, I guess I just wanted you to know that you, Ukrainians have given me so much this past year, and what you do really matters in this world, it matters to people like me and countless others.
It’s an odd feeling, to feel so much for strangers a world away, watching daily the horror, grief, laughter, brief moments of joy, everything and everything.
Sharing it all with you as I watch through a screen you on your screen, who doesn’t know I am watching or reading or listening and feeling it all with you like you are my family.
I have fallen in love with you all, you have forever left a mark on my heart and within my soul. I am one of millions watching, reading, listening every single day, I wish you could all know this, every one of you.
Alona, if you have read this I thank you, and please know your continued threads are so important and so are you.
Thank you for everything.”
For the images in this article, please click here or on the link below for the article in pdf:
My name is Alona and I’m a co-founder of Ukraine DAO. I am Ukrainian, based in the
UK. I grew up in a rural area in Eastern Ukraine and spent a lot of my free time as a
teenager reading books (there weren’t many other ways to entertain yourself) and
watering tomatoes in my family’s vegetable garden (didn’t enjoy that very much, not
gonna lie). While Ukrainian is my native language, I also speak French (although it’s
rusty now) and am a member and qualied translator of the Chartered Institute of
Linquists in the UK.
I also love martial arts - I’m a Brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt and have done a bit of boxing
as well.
I maintain close links with the Ukrainian diaspora in London, and in November 2019 I
skydived to raise funds for Ukraine Charity, which is a UK-based charity that focuses on
helping underprivileged children in Ukraine. Check out their website, they are raising
funds now too.
For Alona's full CV from Day 31 in pdf, please click here:
