By PDG Martin Garcia
District 9940 Foundation Chair
While New Zealand Rotarians on the North Island battled unprecedented rainfall and flooding during this year’s summer, Rotary colleagues in Finland were on a courageous mission in the middle of their winter. The North Islanders nervously followed the journey of their fellow Rotarians as they drove six field ambulances filled with medical equipment from Finland to Ukraine, and awaited reports from Poland.
How did New Zealand Rotarians on this side of the world become involved with Finnish, Polish and Ukrainian Rotarians? After the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year, PDG Judy Bain of District 9940 asked PDG Veli-Matti Heinijoki of Finland if Rotarians in Finland’s District 1390 needed support to help the hundreds of Ukrainian refugees arriving in Lahti, the capital of the country’s Päijänne Tavastia region. Veli and Judy knew each other well after first meeting in 2010 in San Diego, when they were training as incoming governors. Veli introduced Judy to 2021-22 District Governor Eila Parviainen of District 1390, who explained their needs.
The Rotary Club of Hutt Valley, NZ, responded by raising NZ$10,000, which was matched by a Rotary Foundation district grant of NZ$5,000 to buy food and essential supplies for the refugees. Encouraged by this support, Eila asked the lower North Island District 9940 to partner with District 1390 for a Rotary Foundation disaster response grant to deliver ambulances and medical equipment to Ukraine. District 9940’s agreement allowed US$50,000 ($25,000 per district) to be released by The Rotary Foundation for the project led by Eila.
Given the very limited life span of field ambulances in frontline combat areas, used rather than new vans were purchased with the help of the Ukrainian Association in Finland, while a truck was also donated. Stocked with medical equipment, the six field ambulances are helping to save lives in difficult situations and transfer people to hospitals.
Eila, Veli and other Finnish Rotarians took a two-hour ferry from Finland and drove across Europe for two 10-hour days to reach the Polish-Ukrainian border, where they were met by Polish Rotarians. Turned away from the first border post, the exhausted Rotarians drove a further two hours only to be turned away at another border crossing. After being turned away at a third crossing they left the vehicles with Polish Rotarians and flew home to Finland. They returned to Poland one week later, when Eila, three other Finnish Rotarians and two Polish Rotarians were allowed to drive into Ukraine.
By the time they arrived, night had fallen and the drivers were unfamiliar with the roads. Despite the danger of detection, GPS navigation was accessed from a mobile phone. Armed soldiers intercepted the convoy at checkpoints, but the car sticker ‘Rotary Helps Ukraine’ appeared to help. Passing checkpoints and anti-tank defences, the Rotarians finally made it to Lviv, where they were greeted with hugs from Ukrainian Rotarians who had travelled 1,000km from Kharkiv.
Back in New Zealand, Rotary members woke to a message from Eila: “Dear Marilyn, Judy and Martin, I’m happy to announce that our mission is completed! The six field ambulances with their load are now in Ukraine and the Kharkiv area.”
The Kiwis breathed a collective a sigh of relief and thanked Rotary for facilitating their involvement in humanitarian work with like-minded people from the other side of the world.
At DG Marilyn’s conference in March, attendees were enthralled when Eila told this story via videoconference. Following her presentation, Marilyn and Judy presented Eila, Veli and her fellow Finnish and Polish drivers with Paul Harris Fellow recognition.