How Bevar Ukraine prepared for emergency response from Denmark

The war in Ukraine turned life upside down for 39-year-old Andrii Kuzmyn, who came to be in charge of coordinating emergency aid to Ukraine and support for Ukrainians in Denmark.

The phone glows in the pocket of Andrii Kuzmyn, board member of the association Bevar Ukraine. Questions about donations for the aid work in Ukraine tick in as messages, along with inquiries from the association's many volunteers and newly arrived Ukrainians. It has been like this since February 24, when the war in Ukraine started. "When things were going crazy, we were up to 200-300 calls a day. I usually didn't finish answering calls until 2-3 in the morning. Now that we have become more organized, it is a little better. I'll bet I'm going to miss 10 calls while we're doing this interview”, Andrii says.

Bevar Ukraine already started preparing its members for a Russian invasion in mid-December 2021. Since the beginning of the war, the association has sent more than 60 trucks with emergency aid.

The calls come from very different target groups. Companies or individuals who want to support Ukraine, hospitals and schools who are eager to donate used equipment, new volunteers or newly arrived Ukrainians who have problems with housing, bank account and/or social security numbers.

As coordinator, Andrii ensures that inquiries are sent to the right authorities. It is a full-time job for the 39-year-old business developer who, before the conflict in Ukraine escalated, had the prospect of a life a lot of people wish for: good career opportunities, a wife expecting their first child, and a larger apartment in Copenhagen. “My wife was heavily pregnant, so I went on paternity leave when the war began, and I have been ever since. At my workplace everybody has been very understanding. They just told me to come back when I can. I have no doubt that this is where I should be now. Here I save lives," says Andrii, who became the father of a little boy in the second week of the war.

Nine years of experience

It is no coincidence that Bevar Ukraine has become a central hub for humanitarian assistance in Ukraine, and that the association today plays a central role as an information channel for newly arrived Ukrainians in Denmark. Bevar Ukraine, which was established in 2014 after the Russian occupation of Crimea, already has nine years of experience in collecting and delivering humanitarian donations and equipment.

The association began already in December 2021 to prepare for a potential war. At the time, Andrii had just resigned as chairman of the association: "I received several inquiries from Ukrainians who were worried about the situation. It was more concerning than, for example, in May 2021, when the Russians stepped up at the Ukrainian borders. So we decided to send out a survey to all members of the association, so that we could get an overview of who we could draw on if the war started," explains Andrii.

However, the survey received mixed feedback: "Some people thought we ruined their Christmas, but today everyone can see that it was the right thing to do at that time, and the running joke in many places is now that Andrii and Putin knew the war was coming, ” admits Andrii with a smile. Despite everything, Andrii was convinced that Bevar Ukraine should spend the time preparing for emergency response, even if there was a risk that it would be a waste of energy. "If the war had not started, we would have wasted our time, but on the other hand, we would still live in peace. Today I know that we could have done much more before the Russian invasion, but there is always this uncertainty about whether it will pay off,” reflects Andrii.

Approximately 500 members answered the survey that Bevar Ukraine sent out. The feedback built an important base for the emergency relief efforts with medical equipment, food and humanitarian aid. So far,  Bevar Ukraine, together with other Ukrainian and Danish organizations, has sent more than 60 trucks to Ukraine with emergency aid.

According to Andrii, the association can achieve even more if they can mobilize the right resources: "We would like to take Bevar Ukraine to the next level, and become more professionalized in our organization. We are entering the humanitarian field, and for that we need strong skills in relation to communication, fundraising and coordination," highlights Andrii.

Bevar Ukraine is currently housed in premises at Danish Industry in Copenhagen, and receives financial and advisory support from the Danish Refugee Council's Diaspora Programme and the DEMAC - Diaspora Emergency Action & Coordination initiative. "It is very valuable for us to get support from large organizations. It helps us both in being able to carry out our work and in learning how to develop into a professional humanitarian organization,” summarizes Andrii.

About Andrii and Bevar Ukraine

Andrii is board member of Bevar Ukraine. Currently working as a business analyst at WS Audiology, which manufactures hearing aids. Studied Finance and International Business at Aarhus University. Is Ukrainian married. Born in 1983 in Volochysk in Ukraine. Bevar Ukraine is a voluntary aid organization which, among other things, works to collect and send emergency aid to Ukraine, send ambulances and evacuation vehicles to Ukraine, support those who have fled Ukraine in Denmark, and evacuate displaced persons from Ukraine to Denmark.

The Ukrainian Diaspora

Bevar Ukraine is one of around 1.000 Ukrainian diaspora organizations globally. Overall the Ukrainian diaspora is estimated between 7 million to 14 million members. 

The Ukrainian diaspora has been at the forefront responding to the growing needs of the Ukrainian population since 2014. Find a snapshot of their response in the below document.  

Photo Credits: Bevar Ukraine, Danish Refugee Council, Stefanie Glinski