By Olivia Yin
Russia has been trying to take freedom away from Ukrainian people forever, but they have been scared off by the power of NATO and the West. On February 24th, that all changed. Putin declared war on Ukraine, attacking the country with zero Ukrainian provocation. On that morning, more than 40 Ukrainian soldiers were killed. Since then, Putin has continued his full-scale attack on Ukraine.
As an outsider, this situation can seem scary and we might be unsure of what we can do to help.
As a participant in the organization called ENGin — a program that connects students of the same age in Ukraine and the United States to bring together the different cultures while also providing a free volunteer-based conversation for Ukrainian students to improve their English — I have become close with my ENGin buddy Marta.
Marta is also 16 years old. We have talked about our lives and school and laughed over the similarities and differences. We discussed and watched the same shows and read the same books. I was amazed at her commitment and love for learning all things; she was so excited and appreciative to be able to practice her English. Now, all we can do is text frantically about the situation.
She tells me that she is safer now in the city of Lviv. She had to leave her home in the capital city of Kyiv and isn’t sure when she can return home. But she is extremely worried about her father who is still in Kyiv and her classmates, also in Kyiv in bomb shelters there. Marta tells me her friends fear for death and are frantic because there is no food in the area. All normal life is halted. All schools are canceled.
Marta had such ambition and plans for her future — to pursue being a writer, to travel, and to be successful. She had planned everything out on a tight schedule. She would tell me how lucky I am for the opportunities I have that she doesn’t have access to. But now school is the last thing on her mind. She has to focus on staying alive and worrying about her friends and her country. We don’t know what this means for her future or what will happen to her.
And what is the United States doing throughout this? Our government has imposed economic sanctions against Russia. But it is not enough. He is attacking innocent communities just like our own. We need to do more as a country. We need stronger sanctions (including blocking the SWIFT system), totally isolating Russia, and we need to provide weapons and equipment so the Ukrainian army can fight, and medical equipment and humanitarian aid to support the civilians.
As fellow students, teachers, and members of the community, it is crucial for us to take action. I cannot begin to understand what Marta is going through, but I know Irvington can come together and help in the ways we can. ENGin has put together a great list of things we can do to help:
How to Help Ukraine if You’re in the US (Updated Feb 25)
I know Marta and her friends can count on us to help in any way we can. Anything helps: posting on social media that you #standwithukraine, donating at https://razomforukraine.org/razom-emergency-response/ or just passing on information and staying informed. Please take action.
