Program: “Rotary’s Efforts with the War in Ukraine: One Club’s Story,” May 25, 2023

When the war in Ukraine broke out in February, 2022, the Netherlands and particularly the village of Schaijk, sprang to action. Members of the Rotary Club Schaijk-Landvan Ravenstein joined with a local pallet importer to fill trucks returning to Ukraine with many tons of needed supplies and emergency aid.

Join us to hear about this amazing project from the participants themselves, members of RotaryClub Schaijk-Land van Ravenstein!

Looking at this again, I think the people in Ukraine would say that the invasion in Feb. 2022, was a continuation of the war that began in 2014 with the illegal annexation of Crimea and the DonBas.

There is a businessman in the town of Schaijk (pronounced like “shrike”), Netherlands, population <8,000, who imported goods from Ukraine and sent back fruit, vegetables and flowers for sale in Ukraine and Russia. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, 2022, imports to Netherlands continued but there was no market for goods for the return trip. The business owner saw the empty trucks heading back and saw an opportunity to help. He began to solicit donations and to get help with loading the trucks for the return trip. Members of the Rotary Club of Schaijk-Land von Ravenstein joined the effort which has to date delivered several thousand tons of food, clothing, and medical supplies directly into Ukraine for distribution. There’s a lot more about this remarkable local effort, involving Rotarians from the club in Schaijk. Come hear about it from the participants themselves!