During the first month of the fundraising campaing for “Krovomobil” project people have already donated more than UAH 200 thousand.
The first month of the fundraising campaing for “Krovomobil” (“BloodMobile”) project (a mobile blood transfusion station) people have already donated a half of the planned amount of UAH 450 thousand. “More than UAH 200 thousand have already been donated through the online fundraising platform “People’s Project”. This is a half of the amount we need to implement the first stage of our project,” stated Oksana Tyupa, chairman of the charity fund “Club Duvosvit” at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. The money was donated from various regions of Ukraine and from abroad. The amount of donations varied from UAH 20 to UAH 5 thousand.
This money was used to purchase cooling and refrigerating equipment for mobile blood transfusion station. Financial accountancy will be published on the “People’s Project” in a couple of days. “The new equipment will be installed in our vehicle, unfortunately, the old one. So it will be used for our next trip,” said Rostyslav Zaulalskyi, author of the project, Advisor to the Minister of Health of Ukraine, PhD, member of the “Association of efferentologists of Ukraine”.
The activists faced some difficulties during the campaign and purchasing the equipment. The first one was the lower activity of the donors in the period of holidays. Secondly, several subcontractors did not want to accept non-cash payment. “Non-cash payment is the only acceptable way for us, as all our expenditures must be transparent,” emphasized Oksana Tiupa.
Activists hope to raise the second half of the required amount by the end of February to purchase a new vehicle, Volkswagen transporter T5. Oksana Tiupa added that activists would be grateful not only financial contribution, but also the equipment itself. “We negotiate with the partners on the possibility to provide us this vehicle of better quality as a gift. Should we succeed, the raised money would be used for technical maintenance of the vehicle,” she said.
The activists also raised funds for the project within sports competition “Nation Race” and free educational workshops, jointly organized by “Club Dyvoscit” and “Advertising School”. “Three workshops already took place. Each time we raise UAH 500 – 2000,” said Ms. Tiupa.
Rostyslav Zauralsky mentioned that the project was launched in Kremenchuk, Poltava region. During 2 years of the conflict it has driven for over 40 thousand kilometers both in the rear and on the frontline. Over this time it has transported more than 100 liters of blood and its components. “There is enough blood in the hospitals, except for very rare blood types. However, sometimes there are very many wounded. […] It is important to have a reserve that can be transported on the spot within 6 hours since the moment when the need arose. The quicker we start transfusing blood components, the better it is for the patient,” he explained. The activists want to expand “Krovomobil” project nationwide, for that these mobile transfusion stations worked both in the conflict zone and throughout the country to come for help in cases of emergency.