Behind the front lines of battle against Russia, Ukrainian women help hold up a nation at war
UKRAINE (KGO) -- While the battle against Russia carries on and the men of Ukraine are ordered to fight, the women of Ukraine are stepping up too.
Oleksandra Wysoczanska lives in Lviv, Ukraine and works at a military hospital. Her niece Sabina Malinowska is translating from Poland.
"She saw lots of young men with lots of injuries and it's hard to even say how bad it was," said Malinowska.
When her aunt isn't at the hospital, she is one of countless women helping where it's is needed.
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"She says the hardest part is the psychological," said Malinowska.
Wysoczanska, describing a moment at the Lviv train station with a woman who lost everything, says, "My aunt asked 'would you like something like some hot soup, some food, some support,' and the lady didn't say a word and started crying very hard," said Malinowska.
And as war rages on supplies are running low; Malinowska is doing what she can from Poland, tapping her network as a member of the Scouts organization.
"Somehow all of the network from Scouts worked out in a shocking way. We just all started connecting to each other," she said.
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Some of the work included setting up pick-up and drop-off locations on both sides of the border to move in donated medical supplies, food, water and more.
Her fellow Scout, Joanna Kula is helping lead the way. She's from Lviv, but is on the move.
"We do work with lots of big companies, and our friends and suppliers, and we coordinate the list of needed products," said Malinowska, translating for Kula.
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Volunteers are sorting through supplies and packing boxes.
"It's really, really lots of voluntary work happening over there," said Malinowska. "It's winter here, so it's not easy. It's really, really brave work."
And they are doing the brave work without hesitation.
"It's not like someone asked us to do this or like it's willing for us to do this, it's just the moment - someone comes to our country and takes away the place we live," said Malinowska, noting the women of Ukraine will continue to fight for their country.
"Men are fighting, they are on the first front, but they need someone on their back front and this is the ladies' role - this is where we come from."
