‘Please help people in Ukraine’: Horsham residents urged to donate funds

Dominic Sakakini has spent the past week in Ukraine on a fact-finding mission to see first hand exactly what help is needed - and, he says, it’s money to pay for goods - food and medicines - to be delivered behind the line in Ukraine itself.

“There’s absolute chaos and mayhem at the Polish border and the charities there are failing to distribute what they have.

“The solution is by using local people there to deliver aid and to achieve that we need money from local people here in Horsham.”

He said he appreciated that many in Horsham were already donating to various charities but he said that most of that went on admin costs. “Only about 20-40 per cent goes on actual relief.”

He is now urging Horsham organisations, charity groups and volunteers who want to help to contact him so that a united effort can be made to get aid safely where it is most needed inside Ukraine.

“We have the infrastructure set up to take the goods from the Polish border into Ukraine where it will be distributed by people at Government-appointed distribution centres.”

He said they would ensure that aid went to soldiers on the front line, as well as refugees, hospitals - and even pets in need.

While in Ukraine, Dominic visited a leading children’s hospital, a refugee centre, distribution centre, soup kitchen - and more.

He admitted feeling emotional at what he found. “It was the helplessness that really got me,” he said.

“So much needed to be done with so little resources.

“It was emotional seeing people with their families ripped apart. A happy family one day and the next it’s gone.”

But he said he had been touched by how much everyone there was helping each other. “Whenever someone fell down there was someone to pick them up. It was amazing.”

He is now aiming to raise £8,000 to be spent on the distribution of aid “that will help feed 32,000 people.

“The population of Horsham is around 120,000 – imagine if 32,000 people came into Horsham overnight. Imagine the mayhem. Where would you feed them?”

He is asking anyone who wants to help to contact him at his shop - Sakakini Jewellers in Horsham’s Carfax or donate at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/dominic-ukraineHave you read? Sussex village pub set to reopen - after two years

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