On May 16, April Huggett was delivering supplies in Siversk, Ukraine when she heard the ominous sound of drones overhead. She sought cover inside a home, waiting to see what would happen. A short time later, explosions could be heard as a missile struck an apartment building two blocks away.
The scene was a far cry from Huggettsa国际传媒檚 life in the peaceful town of Castlegar, B.C. prior to 2022.
Before the war Siversk had a population of about 12,000 people, now less than 800 people inhabit the town that is only about ten kilometres from the front lines of the Ukranian-Russian conflict.
Stores are closed, infrastructure is destroyed and the residents must depend on visits from volunteers for their food, medical aid and drinking water.
Huggett is one of those volunteers.
The 35-year-old mother of three is the founder of Planet of People (PoP), a non-profit registered in both Canada and Ukraine. She started the agency in 2022 after feeling a pressing need to do something to help those suffering from the war.
With the exception of a short visit home in early 2023, she has spent the last 18 months in the midst of the devastation of war.
in the Bakhmut region, but has now pivoted to a stronger focus on military aid.
sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檝e seen Bakhmut destroyed sa国际传媒� and many of the people I knew died,sa国际传媒� Huggett told Castlegar News in a Zoom interview. sa国际传媒淚 just realized that if we do not support the military, this humanitarian crisis will not stop. It will be a perpetual cycle.
sa国际传媒淭here is no power, no infrastructure, the people are starving, they are being hit by missiles. But, there is nothing we can do until the military has the equipment they need to push the Russians out of here.sa国际传媒�
So Huggett is on a mission to support the Ukrainian defenders however she can.
sa国际传媒淪oldiers call us every day and ask for help and often say they donsa国际传媒檛 have anywhere else to turn,sa国际传媒� said Huggett.
sa国际传媒淲e can often fundraise on a Tuesday, get the money on a Wednesday and deliver the needed items the next day,sa国际传媒� explains Huggett regarding her in-the-moment approach to meeting needs.
sa国际传媒淎 week can mean a difference between life and death out here.sa国际传媒�
Delivering those items often takes Hugget into areas where most people wouldnsa国际传媒檛 travel.
Most of Huggettsa国际传媒檚 fundraising efforts are done through Planet of Peoplesa国际传媒檚 website UAUnitedForFreedom.com and her X account @DefactoHumanity, which has over 35,000 followers.
PoP has raised funds for a wide variety of items from medical supplies that cost a few dollars to a pair of drones that cost $40,000.
Huggettsa国际传媒檚 current fundraising campaign is focused on a wish list she created based on frequent requests of the things she would buy with $100,000. Fundraising for the list is currently at $27,000 and purchases and deliveries have already started.
Huggett says that although other countries are providing equipment essential to fighting the war, small things are often missing on the ground.
sa国际传媒淭hey need those little things, like tablets, to be able to coordinate attacks; signal repeaters to communicate between teams, anti-drone equipment, protective equipment, first aid equipment.
sa国际传媒淚t can be something very small like not having the right power output that could change your position on the front line.sa国际传媒�
Huggett has also recently secured piles of tourniquets, nasal tubes, burn bandages and chest seals that are now headed for the front lines.
She says basic medical supplies are among the most frequently requested items.
sa国际传媒淚f you donsa国际传媒檛 have the proper first aid kit, you cansa国际传媒檛 save your life or the person beside you,sa国际传媒� says Huggett.
The wish list also includes helmets, ceramic plates (shields), thermal imagers, generators, power inverters and batteries.
Since its beginning, PoP has tried to purchase as much as it can from Ukrainian suppliers with the hope that it can help the Ukrainian economy survive the war.
Huggett has also found that Ukranian suppliers often offer discounts since they are truly invested in the cause, helping to stretch the organizationsa国际传媒檚 dollars as far as possible.
But Huggett hasnsa国际传媒檛 completely put aside the humanitarian work. She is currently helping with two projects sa国际传媒� an animal rescue and care program and delivering drinking water.
Huggett and other volunteers travel more than three hours from Donbas to Siversk several times a week to deliver 4,500 litres of clean drinking water to the remaining civilians.
With many animals on the loose, and sterilization services for pets not operating, Huggett says the animal population in the war zone is completely out of control.
Her team is providing a variety of pet services including relocating animals, delivering medications and transporting pets to receive veterinary care and sterilizations.
As the Russians continue to advance towards Siversk, the volunteers are also evacuating pets ahead of the impending battles.
While in the area, Huggett helps with whatever she can, evacuating people in need of medical care, lending a helping hand and on instances like the May 16 missile attack, helping to search for survivors.
Being in the war zone has changed Huggett. She says she will never be the same.
sa国际传媒淓motionally it is hard. You go through a lot of grief at the beginning and then you almost have to dehumanize yourself a bit to take a step back. I donsa国际传媒檛 associate as much with soldiers outside of the work because there is a strong understanding that they could die, and a lot will.sa国际传媒�
Just three weeks ago a colleague/friend of Huggett was killed by rocket fire.
sa国际传媒淣obody can go through war and be who they were before.sa国际传媒�
Huggett says her values have also changed.
sa国际传媒淚 used to be very materialistic sa国际传媒� I used to enjoy doing a lot of different things that I do not think I will ever enjoy again in the same capacity. Those things mean nothing to me now.sa国际传媒�
She says living for a year and a half with just the things that will fit into a backpack has really put into perspective what is actually important, and what is not.
sa国际传媒淚 constantly say it is not about the way you die, but the way you live.sa国际传媒�
Right now, Huggett is living in the shadow of cluster bombs and artillery fire.
She says she has gradually become desensitized to the fear of being in a war zone and concerns for her personal safety.
sa国际传媒淚 feel better being in it and working hard and trying to make a difference here,sa国际传媒� said Huggett. sa国际传媒淚 donsa国际传媒檛 think about my safety as much and I just focus on the work.
sa国际传媒淩ecently, Isa国际传媒檓 talking to a woman about sterilizing her cats and there is gunfire in the background, and explosions and we are all just carrying on like itsa国际传媒檚 normal and keep talking. Because, what else can you do?sa国际传媒�
Next month, Huggett is planning an overdue visit home.
She says she deeply misses her children. Now five, 10 and 13 years old, they are being cared for by their fathers and grandparents.
sa国际传媒淚 am so grateful that they have such wonderful fathers and grandparents,sa国际传媒� said Huggett. sa国际传媒淭hey are well adjusted, blooming, and doing well in school. I couldnsa国际传媒檛 do what I am doing now if I was worried about them.sa国际传媒�
But her children are part of the reason that after a few weeks at home she will once again board a plane and head back to the front lines of the war in Ukraine.
sa国际传媒淭here is so much riding on this, its not just about Ukraine,sa国际传媒� explained Huggett.
sa国际传媒淭here are dictators watching what happens here and that is what motivates me to stay strong for my children. This directly affects their future.
sa国际传媒淚f Russia wins here, we have places like China that will look towards to Taiwan, there is North Korea, Iran sa国际传媒� if they lose here in Ukraine, what is going to stop all of those other countries?
sa国际传媒淭here is so much riding on this for the future of democracy and the freedom of our children.sa国际传媒�
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