The Rotary Club of Murrumbidgee Canberra, ACT, is partnering with various Ukraine supporter groups to fund land mine detectors for civilians in Ukraine.
Rotary International has seven areas of focus to create a better world, including promoting peace, saving mothers and children, growing local economies, and protecting the environment.
The invasion of Ukraine by Russia more than two years ago has killed thousands of Ukrainians, wounded many more, displaced millions of civilians, especially mothers and children, and destroyed the economy and environment through bombing and missile attacks on civilian infrastructure.
The Russians have:
- Planted more than three million land mines covering an area greater than the size of Tasmania in civilian and farming areas when they retreated from Kherson and Kharkhiv.
- Turned Ukraine into the most heavily mined country in the world.
- Created decades of work to clear these mines and, as a result, landmine detectors will be in operation for many years.
In Canberra, ACT, the Canberrans Stand with Ukraine group and other Ukraine supporter groups have been collecting donations to provide metal detectors to find landmines to help prevent injuries to civilians, including children and farmers. It has the support of the Embassy of Ukraine in Canberra.
PICTURED: A warning placard of land mines close to the war frontlines in Zaitseve village, Ukraine. (Photo: Celestino Arce/NurPhoto/via AFP)
To date, more than $200,000 has been raised by around 1,000 supporters, with 228 metal detectors sent to Ukraine in seven pallets. The current eighth pallet, containing 40 detectors and 40 pointers together with humanitarian aid, was sent in early December 2024. This pallet was co-funded by the Rotary Club of Murrumbidgee Canberra with Nathan Burraston of Francis Properties in Canberra, who initiated the project.
The container was sent by the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations to Rotary in Poland and then to Rotary in Ukraine, so it’s a Rotary-to-Rotary project.
This project will build on an existing initiative, with the aim of raising at least $25,000, including $12,500 committed by the Rotary Club of Murrumbidgee Canberra and another $2,000 donated by the Rotary Club of Hall, ACT.
Major demining projects are underway as well as those run by NGOs such as the HALO Trust and the UN’s World Food Program. The latter with rural communities and Ukrainian authorities. The World Bank estimates the total cost of clearing is in the billions and will need more heavy demining equipment.
The Rotary funded detectors are a contribution for civilian areas.
PICTURED: A land mine victim in Ukraine. Metal detectors funded by the Rotary Club of Murrumbidgee Canberra will help protect civilians from injuries like these.
Medical aid
The Rotary Club of Murrumbidgee Canberra also received a district grant of $3,375 to purchase medical aid for Ukraine and is seeking funding assistance from other Rotary clubs to increase this amount.
The Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations has suggested the purchase of a portable ultrasound to be used in a children’s hospital as a priority. Each unit costs around $5,000. Other humanitarian items include clothes, blankets, medicines, bandages, orthopaedic sets and first aid kits.
The Australian Government is supporting Ukraine and this support is likely to increase following the recommendations of the ‘Senate Committee, Australian support for Ukraine’ report of September 2024, which amongst its recommendations include that the “Australian Government urgently join Australia to the Demining Coalition for Ukraine” and that the “Australian Government prioritise using Australian non-government organisations and businesses to deliver Australian Government-funded aid, medical aid and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine wherever possible”.
Get involved
If your club is interested in participating in these projects or making a financial contribution, contact Ross Power or John Jedryk of the Rotary Club of Murrumbidgee Canberra via [email protected] or [email protected]. John may also be available to present to your club about this initiative.
Individual donations
For individual tax-deductible donations to various Ukrainian projects visit: Ukraine Crisis Appeal:
www.ukrainecrisisappeal.org – partnered with Rotary Australia Future Ukraine: www.futureukraine.org.au
MAIN PICTURE: An injured Ukrainian, who stepped on an anti-personnel land mine, receives medical care at a stabilisation point for emergency treatment before he is brought to a hospital near the frontline in the Donetsk region. (Photo: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP)