War is becoming something common for us today. We wake up with our phone in the year, scrolling through the news feed, and fall asleep doing the same thing. The struggle of the Ukrainian people against the aggressor country has been going on for over two months. The Krasnosil community knows first hand about the explosions. Russian missiles have repeatedly tried to hit the infrastructure of this picturesque OTG. Maryna Arkhiriy, the head of the community, told us how they organized their work and how people rallied in a series of interviews.
— Our country has been at war with Russia since the end of February, please tell us how your community works in this difficult time?
— Undoubtedly, the war affected the life of the Krasnosil TG, as well as the life of all Ukrainian communities. First of all, we made decisions related to the life of the community during the war. Social services and elders have been given specific tasks to collect needs and strengthen the activation of work with temporarily displaced, low-income people and other vulnerable categories of the population.
There are critical infrastructure facilities in the community, therefore, since the first day of the war, we have been conducting explanatory work with the population regarding behavior during wartime, we have created a special group on social networks. The population understands what a curfew is, and we are helped to maintain law and order by our military and representatives of law enforcement agencies, in particular, the Dobroslav police department of the National Security Service in the Odesa region.
Institutions of culture and education work online. Communal workers regularly repair water pipes, remove garbage, clean both sides of roads, cemeteries, etc. Every spring we used to spend Saturdays together, unfortunately, this year it is not possible. Therefore, people self-organize into small groups and independently carry out the improvement of territories. That is, the population mostly lives a normal peaceful life.
— How do your employees react to military actions. Maybe someone went to the evacuation?
- Differently. We are all human beings, so we have no right to blame the mother who took the children and went abroad with them, away from the war zone. Some employees are on vacation, most are working.
If in fact, then all areas of community life are closed, there are no disruptions in the work of the village council.
— Do businesses and government institutions work in your OTG?
- Of course. Farmers are planting crops, most shops and cafes are open.
- Do you need help?
— Help is always needed. As Ukrainians say: it is easier to beat your father together.
— Currently, there are a lot of volunteer organizations, do you contact them? Maybe they provide some help?
— It so happened that a rocket attack on a critical infrastructure object at the beginning of the war rallied not only our residents - volunteers from Odessa came to help. We also work with other volunteer organizations and caring entrepreneurs. We are forming a strategic stock of goods for the civilian population. Many thanks to all for the help.
- Do you help the residents and the military?
- Definitely! This is one of our main tasks today. The community received more than 300 internally displaced persons. These are residents of Kherson, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Donetsk and other regions of Ukraine. We ask what they need, we provide them with everything they need: hygiene products, clothes, food, blankets, and more. Young mothers received baby food, diapers, hygiene products for babies.
We are actively working to support our defenders. In this, we are helped not only by residents and volunteers, but also by deputies of various levels. Unfortunately, the situation with military ammunition for our defenders is more complicated. Not enough thermal imagers, class 4+ bulletproof vests. Humanitarian aid, which comes to the military from foreign neighbors, practically does not reach us.
The main thing is that the war united us into one big family.
— We are considering all possible options to provide our defenders both in the community and on the front lines. After all, it's easier together!
— Tell us, please, what tasks are currently facing you and what you plan to do in the future?
— The main task today is the safety of people, preservation of the vital activity of communal institutions, garbage removal, and, of course, assistance to internally displaced persons and our residents who need it.
In future? Now the main task is Victory. We are working on it. And then life will show...
