A volunteer stockpiles water for displaced Ukrainians. Photograph courtesy of Together for H2OPE.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has devastated cities, towns and villages, driving seven million people from their homes. These internal refugees lack access to essential services like safe drinking water and electricity because Russian artillery has destroyed power plants, transmission stations, and municipal water purification facilities.
To help meet displaced Ukrainians' urgent needs, Numi Foundation, a philanthropic group established by California-based Numi Tea, has rushed to provide filtration equipment as well as solar-powered lanterns and electric charging stations. The project, called "Together for H2OPE: Ukraine," aims to raise $1 million in donations. Waves for Water, a U.S. non-profit, provides the water gear, while the electric products are handled by Mpowerd, a U.S. maker of clean energy gadgets.
“The situation is dire. We have moved swiftly to meet the immediate humanitarian crisis in Ukraine,” said Darian Rodriguez Heyman, executive director of the non-profit group, who calls access to clean water a basic human right.
Heyman explained that the destruction of municipal infrastructure has forced Ukrainians to collect water from dirty puddles and streams. “Thanks to our partnership with Waves for Water and Mpowered, Together for H2OPE: Ukraine has the opportunity to provide 550,000 desperate Ukrainians with access to the clean water, light, and power that will sustain them through the invasion while supporting long-term health as the nation rebuilds,” he said.
Numi Foundation, established in 2016 by the sibling founders of Numi Tea, has often worked with specialist non-government organizations to assist tea farming communities. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the group shifted its focus from providing potable water to delivering critical food relief to low-income families. Waves for Water, for its part, distributes buckets equipped with durable water filters to ensure access to clean water. During the past 12 years, the group has helped provide potable water to 4 million people in 40 countries.
Waves for Water field operations director Rob McQueen aims to deliver 22,000 water filtration buckets to refugees near the front lines, a task that is being assigned to military veterans accustomed to operating in war zones. Establishing networks to reach displaced and isolated people in contested areas “has been nothing short of incredible,” said McQueen.
Refugees require mobile phones to access information and stay in touch with loved ones. Mpowerd’s charging stations are portable and reliable, enabling refugees to keep in contact while on the move. The company is a U.S.-based maker of personal solar chargers and lamps.
“Much-needed funding has been provided toward lethal aid," John Salzinger, the founder of Mpowerd, observed. "What we are all collectively trying to do, in parallel, is provide necessary and timely humanitarian aid to those internally displaced people inside Ukraine.”
Donation information: Wavesforwater.org/ukraine