Humanitarian Aid to the South of Ukraine

BerlinOdessaExpress

by Sina Gasde, Katharina Helling, Katleen Krüger

Find NEWS & MILESTONES at the bottom of this page

02/2024 – The shortfilm “WE ARE HERE” of the initiative is NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD!

The BerlinOdessaExpress has been aiding Odesa since the Russian full-scaled invasion of Ukraine

We help where the need is. Under this motto, BerlinOdessaExpress has been organizing relief supplies for Ukraine since March 2022. We deliver medicines, technology, hygiene articles, food, and more with our local partners, humanitarian organizations, and governmental structures. In the meantime, a tried and tested supply chain has developed. The goods are redistributed in the country within a few days to hospitals, social institutions, associations, and church congregations. Among them are NGOs like Winds of Change, which mainly support Rom*nja (btw. PICASSO, CHAPLIN & ELVIS where roma) and other marginalized people in rural areas, several associations and aid, and state aid structures in the city and region of Odessa. We cooperate with Aktion Sühnezeichen Friedensdienste and the aid network for Holocaust survivors on the German side.

We supply projects in the Odesa region and other parts of the country, for example, the embattled areas in Mykolayiv and Kherson further east. Through our partner organizations, we reach people who urgently need help: refugee women and families with children, older people, and people with physical and mental disabilities.

Until the summer of 2022, we drove ourselves in minibusses to the border in the Romanian Danube Delta and handed over the goods to our partners. In the beginning, all goods were scarce, so we concentrated on medicines, bandages, rescue supplies, food, and hygiene products. On the way back, we took war refugees and arranged for their reception or safe onward journey in Germany.

Later, the number of refugees decreased sharply, so we changed our concept: together with Ukraine-Hilfe Lobetal, which has been organizing aid deliveries since the 1990s, we now transport by truck, which is cheaper and more ecological. So we can also deliver hospital beds and heavy technology, such as generators, which are urgently needed after the targeted Russian attacks on the infrastructure.

In addition to this material support, it is, above all, the personal connection and sympathy that gives strength and confidence in this terrible war for both our partners and us.
We work purely voluntarily. Monetary donations enable us to continue the aid transports and support Ukraine’s people.

Website https://www.berlinodessaexpress.de

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/berlinodessaexpress/

NEWS & MILESTONES

The initiative has achieved many milestones, already ten (10) aid transports and has even been on radio stations in Germany.

Meilenstein Juli 2024 – Ambulance car financed with your donations– and delivered!

Thex successfully fundraised an Ambulance car (including a defibrilator) and brought it together with medicals donated by partners to Odesa.
For more info visit their website. Just watch the short video about the start of the journey and: The fundraising for more humanitarian aid continues!

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl4bQ6bznc4

impressions of the start of the initiative BerlinOdessaExpress 10th humanitarian aid transport - they donated an ambulance car thanks to you plus with partners from

MILESTONE February 2024 – nominated for two AWARDS!
The good news came shortly one after the other:

Initiative supported by WE AID nominated for MOVIE AWARD AND FINALIST in a second competition: BerlinOdessaExpress, Shortfilm by

01 – The shortfilm “WE ARE HERE” by “the good ones” about the initiative is FINALIST at the legendary SMILEY CHARITY FILM AWARDS (from the Inventor of THE iconic Smiley!) in its category!

SMILEY CHARITY FILM AWARDS Finalist – BerlinOdessaExpress

https://smileycharityfilmawards.com/films/we-are-here-a-group-of-friends-deliver-personalized-aid-to-the-people-of-ukraine

02 – the movie is ALSO in the voting of the famous GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE, the BETTER WORLD VIDEO AWARDS!
You can VOTE FOR THEM here until February 25th 2024:

GEROGRAPHIC MAGAZINE Betterworld Movie Awards

https://geographical.co.uk/news/better-world-video-awards-vote

CONGRATULATIONS to anyone involved AND: Support them as we go towards valentines day and leave some love on the movie – in the votings and on the videon on youtube. They deserve it.

Milestone Dec. 18th 2023 – 9th aid transport arrived just in time for Santa!

NEWS – along with about 300 (!) christmas parcels in addition to humanitarian aid goods. You can find first infos on the insta-page of the initiaive:

VIDEO 🎥⏯ https://www.instagram.com/p/C0-A6fLMsiG/

while the team recovers from a 30 hours journey. Feel free to leave a like there and: The fundraising continoues: You can support them starting from 1 cent to any level literally 24/7. A BIG THANK YOU to anyone making this happen, the partner organizations such as “pharmacists without borders germany”, “WindsOfChange” and “Aktion Sühnezeichen”. We also thank anybody spreading the word about this initative from Radioeins radiostation to anyone helping them doing good and not the least giving these people positive memories and showing them: We do not forget them. Until there is peace again.

NEWS Nov 12th 2023 – raising funds for Christmas parcels & medicine
The initiative is rightnow starting her second round raising funds for CHRISTMASPARCELS for kids, elders and not the least holocaust survivors. Last year they collected enough to pack 500+ parcels, send medicine, food and even generators (see video Milestone dec 2022 and their socials). Follow their socials for updates.

Update Nov. 27th: Already donations for more than hundred Christmas parcels – Go WE AID FAMILY!

Update Nov. 29th: tune in on Berlin 7:05 a.m. – Nov- 29th 2023 / Brandenburg´s radio station RADIOEINS for their interview – we´re happy about it!
https://geographical.co.uk/news/better-world-video-awards-vote

You can anytime 24/7 donate right here on their WE AID page.

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpSQkRMfWOk

Christmas parcel campaign 2023 of the initiativeBerlinOdessaExpress - Gifts for children elders and Holocaust-survivors. And also medicine.

 

Milestone June 2023 – 8th aid transport

Movie by “Meet the Good Ones” from their recent transport published 09 / 2023 (english) – watch this, to get a feeling for their phantastic humanitarian spirit

VIDEO ⏯ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjzAsCG–6I

Watch the shortfilm that became FINALIST at the SMILEY CHARITY FILM AWARDS 2024 - about a humanitarian aid transport of the initiative

 

Milestone December 2022 – Video from their christmas transport – from medicals, radios and soccer balls for kids to some 500 presents for all ages

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqID3HkOV1c

Video: initiative Berlin Odessa Express humanitarian aid and relief

NEWS ECHO:

NEWS – radio interview on Nov 29th 2023 with initiative BerlinOdessaExpress on radioeins - BerlinOdessaExpress is an initiative supported by WE AID
radio station RadioEins, ​„Der schöne Morgen” (means as much as ‘the beautiful morning’ morningshow): “Berlin-Odessa-Express: Hilfsgüter für ukrainische Schwarzmeer-Metropole” – “Berlin-Odessa Express: “Relief supplies for the Ukrainian Black Sea metropolis” (interview, german, 11/29/2023)
https://www.radioeins.de/programm/sendungen/der_schoene_morgen/_/der-berlin-odessa-express–ein-weihnachtstransport-.html

podcast “Feel Good Happy People Happy Planet” (interview, 09/25/2023, german)
https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-bgdhz-14ac6f9

radio station RadioEins, ​„Der schöne Morgen” (means as much as ‘the beautiful morning’ morningshow, interview, german 02/27/2023

More info
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