GD volunteer Martin Dover’s experience serving at the Ukraine-Poland border

We had five student volunteers, all first-year students at the University of St Andrews, aged between 18 and 19, led by myself, and joined by Tai Sherman, Isaac Vann, Thomas Hodgson, and Alex Erb.

It was an extremely intense weekend, organising the whole project to ensure we were able to help as many refugees as possible, while also abiding by all the regulations of the Polish police and army.

We began the project on Friday evening, where we consulted with local authorities in the Krakow Glowny station, as well as spoke to some Ukrainian refugees, to help find out where we should carry out the distribution, and to get a better idea of exactly what food items were needed.

It was extremely shocking for us all to have first-hand exposure, seeing young women and children carrying their whole life in a couple of bags, trying to find somewhere comfortable enough to be able to sleep in the station, having just left their husbands, fathers, and brothers in a war zone. In particular, seeing so many young children was very upsetting and drove home to us just how serious a situation it was, and how imperative it was to do everything we could to help.

On Saturday, we were up early, ready for a full day of spreading love and compassion to those who needed our help. We purchased huge amounts of fruits, drinks, snacks, bread, and treats for children, before taking it to the distribution point. We thought we would have time to set up and get organised, however, we were immediately inundated with those who had come through on trains and busses from Ukraine. They arrived hungry and desperate for our support. This was quite shocking for us as a group of teenagers, despite extensive experience organising countless food distributions across the UK.

Despite the language barrier, we welcomed anyone who needed our help with a big smile, and we hope we were able to help alleviate a little bit of the pain and stress the refugees were experiencing — even if it was only with a banana and a chocolate bar. To me this had a deeper meaning. It proved to me once again that no matter the situation, so long as we do our work in the best way we can, all people can connect with each other via the bond of love and compassion. For me this is true ‘Compassion in Action,’ and everything Go Dharmic is about.

During the day, we were able to give out food to around 2,000 people, ranging from children who could barely walk to the elderly.

Of personal stories, it was hard to have very in-depth conversations, due to the significant language barrier and work of the day. Despite this, there was one mother and daughter from Lviv (whose names I won’t mention) that stand out in my mind. They told me how they had left their home last night to get a bus to Poland. They had to leave behind the father and brother (21), as they were not able to come with them to Poland. The mother packed up their life in just one suitcase and some carrier bags. She told me that the things she wanted to take with her were sentimental items, things like photos, yet had to leave most things behind. She didn’t know if she would ever be able to make it back home and to her old life, but she hoped that she would in the next few days. Unfortunately, this is not likely to occur. It was heartbreaking for me to think of someone having to leave behind priceless family items, because of a necessity to prioritise the basic items one needs to survive.