Facebook group in Australia unites thousands of diaspora members to help Ukraine

A journalist from Espreso spoke with Ukrainian women who are bringing together hundreds of diaspora members on a distant continent to support Ukraine's Armed Forces.

The Facebook community ‘Ukrainians in Sydney’ united thousands

Ukrainians Olha Voronina and Olena Kulyk met at a protest in Australia in 2014. Olena moved to the country in 2011, while Olha arrived nearly 20 years ago. When the full-scale invasion began in 2022, they, along with other concerned Ukrainians, took to the streets in protest. Soon after, they brought together several thousand people through the Facebook group ‘Ukrainians in Sydney.’

The group now has over 8,000 members. Olha and Olena say most fundraising ideas are born within this community. Since August 2022, ‘Ukrainians in Sydney’ has helped them raise over $100,000 for Ukraine's Armed Forces. The group’s name has become well-known in Sydney.

"Olha and I come up with some ideas, but we couldn’t do anything without support. It all depends on people stepping up to help. We've gotten to know each other well – who can do what, who has what talents. There aren't that many of us here (in Australia), but we know our strength lies in unity," says Olena.

Olha recalls that at the start of the full-scale invasion, they came up with the idea of selling T-shirts with Ukrainian symbols and phrases to raise money for the Armed Forces. They reached out to artist and illustrator Andriy Yermolenko, who gave them permission to use his designs.

"We first sold these T-shirts at the Ukrainian Culture Festival in downtown Sydney in 2022. We didn’t expect so many buyers. Hundreds of Australians donated money, left their phone numbers, and asked to be notified when the T-shirts were back in stock," Olha shares.

The women say this effort not only raised funds but also raised awareness about Ukraine and gave people a way to show their support. "Imagine hundreds of people on the other side of the world wearing ‘Be brave like Ukraine’ or ‘Australia stands with Ukraine’ T-shirts. It’s powerful advertising for Ukraine."

"The Ukrainian community in Sydney has always organized fairs and festivals. We joined them, sold the T-shirts, and all the donated items," says Olena.

The idea of auctions took off

"For the first auction marking the anniversary of the full-scale invasion, we raised over $19,000. For the next one, we decided to go in a different direction. At that time, many celebrities were visiting Australia, so we organized a Celebrity Fundraising Auction. Jamala and Boris Johnson signed books for us, Elina Svitolina signed a tennis ball, and Yevhen Klopotenko signed cookbooks. We raised $17,000 through this auction," Olha explains.

Charity picnic for electronic warfare equipment

The women also recall how a Ukrainian brigade needed electronic warfare equipment. To raise the funds, ‘Ukrainians in Sydney,’ together with a branch of the Union of Ukrainian Women in Australia, held a charity picnic. "We’ve done similar events before for people to gather, talk, and share, but this time the goal was to raise money for electronic warfare equipment, and we succeeded," the volunteers say.

Australians' attitude to the war

"At the start of the full-scale invasion, everyone was eager to help. But people get used to things, and now, for everyday Australians — who see Ukraine as a distant place — the support is gradually fading.

Our job is to keep pushing and come up with new ideas so that Ukraine stays on their minds and help is continuous. At the government level, things are still working," says Olena.

"We don’t want to beg for donations. We want people to help because they genuinely want to. That’s why we’re focusing on promoting Ukrainian culture and tying that in with fundraising. Some people see Ukraine as a third-world country with war, poverty, and corruption, so it’s crucial to show our culture more. Right now, they’re especially curious about it," adds Olha.

Relations with the old community

"When we arrived, the old community was a bit distant from us. Back in 2014, a strong wave of solidarity brought people together at protests. That’s when the old community got to know the new one better, and the start of the full-scale invasion brought even more unity.

I can’t speak for everyone abroad, but the people around us share a common goal: helping Ukraine. Even though we’re far away, what’s happening back home affects us deeply. Ukraine has always been, is, and will be our home. Here, we really feel how important unity is. It’s sad that this unity happens during the toughest times, but we love freedom, and we love Ukraine," says Olha.

"Those who came to Australia after World War II did an incredible job of keeping Ukrainian culture alive here. Just look at the churches, Ukrainian community centers, and even third- and fourth-generation diaspora members who still send their kids to Ukrainian schools. Our job now is to keep all that going and not lose what they worked so hard to preserve," adds Olena.