On Thursday, April 27th, Ukrainian soldiers came to Monroe Township High School. Students in attendance learned about the mission of Kind Deeds and heard first hand stories which helped students better understand the conflict. (Photo by Andre)
Background Information
Since February 2014, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has gradually escalated. Up until early 2022, the argument was centered around Russia’s unrightful annexation of Crimea, a peninsula located in Eastern Europe. While this dispute lasted 8 years, February 2022 brought out unforeseen and significantly more intense circumstances. Shortly after Russia publicized their intentions to “demilitarize” and “denazify” Ukraine, they launched a full scale air strike and ground invasion on Kyiv and several other cities.
As Ukraine scrambled to defend their country, allied nations including the United States and the United Kingdom sent over assistance both financially and militarily.
Kind Deeds
Specific organizations, such as United24 and the Prytula Foundation, aim to provide support to the struggling nation. Among these organizations, Kind Deeds is a nonprofit which aims to ‘help as many people as possible’ through providing wounded Ukrainian soldiers with the support necessary to get back on their feet. According to the Kind Deeds main webpage, 11,547 Ukrainians have been wounded since the 2022 Russian invasion. While the organization is currently serving 7 wounded Ukrainian soldiers at their New York facility, they have already carried out 15 prosthesis treatments since their opening in 2022, and have a waitlist of over 200 wounded soldiers anxious to be treated.
On April 27th, MTHS students were fortunate enough to hear from some of these soldiers along with president of Kind Deeds, Oleksandr Rubstov.
Oleksii is 39 years old and has fought in the war since May 2014. On October 1st, 2022, he was wounded in the Kherson region outside of the village of Davidov Brod. Kind Deeds has helped Oleksii regain the physical strength and independence he needed to resume his duty of protecting his homeland. (Photo by Andre)
MTHS x Kind Deeds Event
The event began with a brief introduction to the Russo-Ukrainian conflict and was enhanced by the first hand stories of the Ukrainian soldiers. Rubstov spoke about the importance of supporting Kind Deeds through charitable donations, along with the many ways that we can utilize our freedoms and resources to spread awareness.
After soldiers shared their stories, members of the audience were given the opportunity to ask them questions and learn more about their involvement in the war efforts. Throughout the event, Marina Vitalin, a business and Macroeconomics teacher at MTHS served as a translator to the Ukrainian-speaking soldiers. Her ability to orchestrate the event seamlessly did not go unnoticed by members of the audience.
Nick Barbera, senior student at MTHS and member of the Rho Kappa History Honor Society explained, “She did a beyond incredible job of communicating with the soldiers and delivering their message to all of us students. I’m extremely thankful to have heard their stories, and it made me realize how lucky we are to have peace and freedom in America.”
At the conclusion of the event, a Monroe Township High School parent took the microphone to thank the soldiers for their service. She also handed them flowers to show her appreciation and support for their bravery. (Photo by Andre)
Overview
The 2023 Kind Deeds collaboration with Monroe Township High School was an incredible success. For students in attendance, it served as an impactful learning opportunity which helped to clarify the significance of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict. Students also learned the importance of providing Ukraine with the aid and support necessary to win the war and allow democracy to be upheld.
If you are interested in learning more about Kind Deeds and their mission, check out their website at KindDeeds.org
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