From top: distributing food, war devastation, aid delivered to the homebound, Dobra Fabryka’s co-directors Mateusz Gasinski and Ania Kieniewicz
After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Humanity Now embarked on a partnership with the humanitarian organization Dobra Fabryka, which is providing aid to war victims. Earlier this month, we received an update. The situation in Ukraine is not good, but Humanity Now funding is doing a lot to help.
In her update, Dobra Fabryka’s co-director Ania Kieniewicz reported on a recent food distribution that was made possible with funding from Humanity Now. Ania called this project “one of the most challenging tasks yet,” because the target population lives in the Donetsk town of Druzhkivka, only 15 miles from where fighting is taking place. “Here,” Ania told us, “missile strikes, bombings, and artillery shelling are not emergency events, they are sadly hourly occurrences.”
Before the war, Druzhkivka had 60,000 residents. These days, only 10,000 remain and much of the town lies in ruins. The government issued mandatory evacuation orders, but some people stayed. Too often, they have nowhere else to go.
Before the war, Druzhkivka had 60,000 residents. These days, only 10,000 remain and much of the town lies in ruins. The government issued mandatory evacuation orders, but some people stayed. Too often, they have nowhere else to go.
Our friends tell us that Druzhkivka smells of gunpowder and ash, but the team remains determined to provide aid there because the town’s residents have no other options. Again and again, war forces people to make very difficult decisions, often putting their own lives in danger.
None of this work would be possible without your ongoing and generous support. Your donations are providing aid in places where people are desperate for assistance. In situations like the one in Druzhkivka, we’re fulfilling our mission in the clearest way—becoming a bridge between those in need and those who want to help.
Ania’s email included news from Yan Borodin, the head of Dobra Fabrkya’s Ukraine mission. We’ll end with Yan’s words about his experience in Druzhkivka, which so clearly demonstrate the courage and humanity of our partners. “These are the moments that weigh heaviest on us,” he wrote. “It’s not just about distributing food. It’s about respecting the
dignity of those who, despite everything, choose to stay where their roots are. Here, where the sounds of artillery are a non-stop background noise and constant of the war, the simplest acts of humanity—like offering a meal—are a powerful testament to resilience. In these darkest hours, we cling to hope and the belief in our shared humanity.”
Thank you for helping Humanity Now as we support this effort.
