Together – to victory!

To be useful to one’s people and homeland. Many of us, friends, live today with exactly this thought – and, most importantly, act on it. There are countless examples… I will share just one small episode from our life…

Today a small group of Ukrainians in Estonia once again visited the main base of the Estonian charity initiative AITAN KAITSTA (“I help defend”) to do some simple but now so necessary work – weaving camouflage nets, which the organisation has been doing all over Estonia since the start of military aggression against Ukraine. Those of you, friends, who have been to at least one such place know what I mean… Every time we come to the familiar hall of the T1 shopping centre, which has moved to the 3rd floor, we see a frail elderly woman sitting at a table. She smiles warmly at each of us without looking up from her work: she deftly cuts fabrics of different colours and shades into strips and in other ways. Her hands skilfully handle rather massive scissors and a special sharp blade that cuts and cuts the fabric…

She is one of our compatriots forced to flee; her name is Mrs Nina. Once I asked whether such work tired her; our heroine just smiled and said: “When I imagine how hard it is for our boys, our children on the battlefield, how can I even think about being tired!”

Every day our elderly Ukrainian does her work, though she could simply enjoy life in beautiful Tallinn, sit on a bench catching the sun and sea breeze, as many of us do… Thank you, dear – you are an example of devotion to your people, diligence, honour and dignity…

To be honest, the number of net weavers does not grow each time – rather the opposite. In our women’s “brigade” there are more and more Estonian women, and Estonian men too, who perform a special task – weaving camouflage covers for protective helmets, which is especially delicate work requiring great skill and patience. Today we helped a young man correctly label a special box of finished helmets in Ukrainian.

After a while two young women came into the hall – as it turned out, a mother and daughter from Sumy who now live in the town of Keila – Alla Parkhomenko and Olena Petrenko. They came to stock up on fabric of a special colour used to make camouflage covers for helmets. A few minutes were enough for us to feel an incredible kinship with them. Sharing the necessary materials, we learned that unfortunately in Keila only the two of them do this work regularly, although there are quite a few Ukrainians in the town today…

Alla Parkhomenko and Olena Petrenko are very grateful to Keila Sotsiaalkeskus and personally to Tiiu Jalakas, who works hard to make sure that help for Ukraine and Ukrainians is provided at a proper level. Taking this opportunity, we would like to appeal to our compatriots who have long lived in Keila or have recently arrived in Estonia to join in active cooperation with the aid centre…

Jaana Ratas, head of AITAN KAITSTA, told us that on 8 July 2022 from 11:00 to 18:00 you can join in weaving camouflage nets on TOWN HALL SQUARE!!! So join our common good cause, friends! Together – TO VICTORY!