Stories

The Russians shell Kharkiv every day, causing thousands of people to lose their homes and incomes. For them, Kharkiv volunteers prepare more than ten thousand servings of food a day — a photo report

Authors:: Yuriy Palyvoda, Yuliana Skibitska
Date:: 18:18, 28 june 2022

Yuriy Palyvoda / Babel

Volunteer organization “4.5.0. Kharkivites together” arose in the first days of a full-scale invasion. Volunteers prepare and deliver more than ten thousand servings of food to people who need it every day. Four buses distribute food in all districts of the city for all day, the first ones leave at 8 am. Volunteers add addresses and the number of new portions to their lists, as more and more people return to the city every day. Many of them still donʼt have electricity, gas or water supply in their homes to cook in the kitchen, some are unemployed, some still live in the basement. Exclusively for Babel, photographer Yuriy Palyvoda filmed how volunteers work in dangerous Kharkiv.

Tetyana Krokhmal is a co-founder of the organization "4.5.0. Kharkivites together". Prior to the full-scale war, she was the principal of an early development school. On February 25, she met the director of an elite restaurant "450 degrees", which provided space and products for cooking. On the first night, Tetyana and her three children prepared 4…

Yuriy Palyvoda / Babel

Now the organization has about 200 people who work around the clock in shifts.

Yuriy Palyvoda / Babel

Every day the diet consists of potatoes a la Creole, pasta, bulgur, or rice. Also there are vegetables. Necessarily meat: pork kebab, chicken or fish. The menu is not repeated during the week. A daily portion of meat is plentiful, as for some it may be the only meal of the day. And people need a lot of protein.

Yuriy Palyvoda / Babel

Volunteers also help with medication. This is done by a separate department of the organization in which doctors work.

Yuriy Palyvoda / Babel

Support Babel: donate in hryvnia 🔸 in cryptocurrency 🔸 Patreon 🔸 PayPal: paypal@babel.ua