Page 1 - BPW-UK - E-news - Edition 101 - March 2022_Neat

E-news

Edition 101– March 2022

Dear Members of BPW UK

I write this month to you all with a very heavy heart, but with hope in me.
As an organization we have a wealth of knowledge, and I am asking you to
share this with me. I am asking each of you to let me know what we can do,
and how we can do it, we must help these brave people of Ukraine.

You will have received the letter from me asking you to contact your local MP to help them understand the
strength of feeling and to lobby our Home Secretary to ease the process with refugees.

I have taken part in the European Presidents zoom call with two members of BPW Ukraine in Chernigov.
Julia Zayika and Victoria Filatova spoke with honesty and passion about what is happening to them. This
week Julia’s house was bombed and shelled; she has moved to her mother’s house for safety. Victoria lost all her
windows in a shelling. I cannot imagine how they feel, we are truly fortunate.

I tell you these things not to upset or disturb, but to help us to focus on what is needed. And it is needed now.

BPW Poland told us of how members are driving refugees from the border to relatives, the train station, or a
humanitarian shelter. They have opened their homes and they are helping on the ground with the tide of refugees.
But they are not a rich nation, food and fuel costs have risen. They need help.
Some refugees come over the border with Russian or Ukrainian money only to find it is now almost worthless.

BPW Lithuania are helping to get a database for the refugees, like a LinkedIn, to understand skills and childcare
needs. These women want to work, need to work. They need to support family members but most importantly
for good mental health. All they knew they left at the border.

BPW Estonia explained that although providing goods was helpful, they have a difficulty with distributing the
quantity received. It is not always safe to cross the border as things move quickly. This aid is valuable, but with
many Ukrainian truck drivers going home to defend Ukraine, they have a shortage of drivers.

So, what can we do? BPW International is looking into direct donations to both Ukraine and Poland to help with the
refugees and aid to those still in the war zone. For us in the UK, the best way to support at the moment is
through a recognised aid agency such as the Disasters Emergency Committee, Red Cross or UNICEF. There are
numerous local collection points in place so there may be one near you if you would prefer to support in that way.

The Government is matching personal donations to DEC of up to £20 million.
The link to DEC:
http://www.dec.org.uk/home