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Humans of Duke Sanford

I went to in August 2018 for an education-focused Peace Corps program. I lived with a host family in a really small rural town within the province of Poltava Oblast – southeast of At the time, I don’t think people here really knew much about Ukraine as a country. But now everyone knows; it’s sad the Russian invasion is what’s making Ukraine famous. 
 
When the invasion began I was speechless. I felt so bad I couldn’t do anything immediate for my host family and students. But I’m impressed and very proud of many Ukrainians’ response. It seems the whole country has come together. Small villages are sending food to the military, despite the risk they might themselves not have much food left. People in the town I lived in are weaving camouflage nets for the army every day. However, I’m also nervous. People are so strongly devoted to Ukraine and preserving its independence, they’ll probably never back down. 
 
Regarding international efforts to stop the war, there’s the sanctions, but at what point is someone going to more actively intervene? It seems like neither the Ukrainians nor Putin are going to surrender. I’m no military expert, I don’t know the options, but it’s not going to end well for a lot of Ukrainian civilians if it keeps going on like this. 
 
In trying to do my part, I’ve been working with the Ukrainians in the Carolinas group – collecting and donating medical supplies – and with other returned Peace Corps volunteers to try to help refugees get housing or cash, writing to Congress, trying to share good news with my host family, encouraging people to follow independent journalism in Ukraine, and trying to share stories from actual Ukrainians to humanize the situation. Being able to empathize with and humanize those in a crisis is important.
 
-Rachael Grainger sharing her thoughts on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, from her perspective as a former Ukraine-based Peace Corps volunteer. First photo was taken in Kyiv.

I went to #Ukraine in August 2018 for an education-focused Peace Corps program. I lived with a host family in a really small rural town within the province of Poltava Oblast – southeast of #Kyiv. At the time, I don’t think people here really knew much about Ukraine as a country. But now everyone knows; it’s sad the Russian invasion is what’s making Ukraine famous.

When the invasion began I was speechless. I felt so bad I couldn’t do anything immediate for my host family and students. But I’m impressed and very proud of many Ukrainians’ response. It seems the whole country has come together. Small villages are sending food to the military, despite the risk they might themselves not have much food left. People in the town I lived in are weaving camouflage nets for the army every day. However, I’m also nervous. People are so strongly devoted to Ukraine and preserving its independence, they’ll probably never back down.

Regarding international efforts to stop the war, there’s the sanctions, but at what point is someone going to more actively intervene? It seems like neither the Ukrainians nor Putin are going to surrender. I’m no military expert, I don’t know the options, but it’s not going to end well for a lot of Ukrainian civilians if it keeps going on like this.

In trying to do my part, I’ve been working with the Ukrainians in the Carolinas group – collecting and donating medical supplies – and with other returned Peace Corps volunteers to try to help refugees get housing or cash, writing to Congress, trying to share good news with my host family, encouraging people to follow independent journalism in Ukraine, and trying to share stories from actual Ukrainians to humanize the situation. Being able to empathize with and humanize those in a crisis is important.

-Rachael Grainger #HumansofDukeSanford #MPP sharing her thoughts on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, from her perspective as a former Ukraine-based Peace Corps volunteer. First photo was taken in Kyiv.