Kyiv, October 31, 2014. A EuroMaidan Toronto project will deliver Kobo e-books to hospitals and orphanages in the regions of Sumy and Chernivtsi. This was stated at Ukraine Crisis Media Center by Clint Martin, Oleksandr Romanko, Olexiy Kaspruk – the Senior Trade Commissioner at the Canadian Embassy in Ukraine, a EuroMaidan Toronto activist, and the mayor of Chernivtsi, respectively. EuroMaidan Toronto was founded by Ukrainian-Canadians during the beginning of the Maidan movement in Ukraine, and now works on numerous projects to support Ukraine during this difficult time.
In Canada, there are more than one million people who identify themselves as Ukrainian. Many of these individuals are very active in supporting Ukraine from abroad, raising money to support the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) in the east by providing defensive gear and medical supplies. Many Ukrainian-Canadians are also involved in spreading awareness of the conflict in Ukraine throughout Canada. “The Euromaidan Toronto Committee is working on a number of projects to help Ukraine such as collecting money for the ATO, collecting money for internally displaced persons, promoting Ukraine in mass media, and assisting the Ukrainian government in projects,” stated Romanko. The e-book project is the next joint effort to support wounded Ukrainian servicemen and disadvantaged children.
The current project is rather expensive, as it costs approximately 100.000 USD to deliver 2.000 e-books to hospitals with injured servicemen and orphanages in Ukraine Included in the e-books are classics, fiction, and contemporary literature in three languages. However, activists believe that the costs are worth the results. “Books can cure,” said Romanko.
The Canadian Embassy has pledged its support to EuroMaidan Canada’s efforts, helping to promote these activities. “We will continue to support Ukraine as the situation changes here,” said Martin. As the project also brings together Ukraine’s different regions, such as Sumy and Chernivtsi, the efforts of EuroMaidan Canada also promote the country’s unity. “Not only is it meeting a great need in the present situation but it is also creative in meeting a need here in Ukraine,” he added.
