The Ukraine Solidarity Network is promoting an effort to support Ukrainian nurses and their union as they try to save lives and deal with diseases and injuries under terrible conditions.  We are trying to raise $76,000 to enable the Ukrainian health care workers’ union “Be Like We Are” (formerly “Be Like Nina”) to purchase medical testing equipment that will improve working conditions and patient care at a hospital in Nizhyn, Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine.

This project seeks both to provide practical aid to Ukrainian healthcare workers and to increase awareness in the U.S. about the Ukrainian labor movement.

USN will send the funds raised via Kryla, a New Orleans-based non-profit group that sends humanitarian aid and medical supplies to Ukraine. Kryla will then transfer the funds to Be Like We Are so that they can buy the equipment in Ukraine.  We are seeking to raise $76,000 for the purchase of two Mindray BS-430 biochemistry analyzers that will be used for testing blood and other specimens.

Donations can be sent through GoFundMe at https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-krylas-lifechanging-mission or by check as described in the above link.

Because this project has an organizing and educational purpose in addition to material aid, you can contribute further by approaching organizations or unions to which you belong to ask them to participate as well.  European unions have been providing material aid to their counterparts in Ukraine and we are trying to expand this model in the U.S.

As of today, over $4,000 has been raised from individual donations, and $2,500 from an award by the Daniel Singer Foundation, so even early in this effort, we have made a good start.

But we need help from you and your friends and organizations. Please donate and also ask them to donate.

If you need additional information, see the USN website: https://www.ukrainesolidaritynetwork.us/