From Spain to Ukraine: How Scouts are making a difference
While they may speak different languages, live in different climates, and be 3,500 kilometres apart, Scouts in Spain found ways to connect with and support their friends in Ukraine through a heartwarming project: a solidarity walk, fundraiser and shipment of shoes for internally displaced people in Ukraine.
Lorena Martínez, a Scout Leader from Monte Yerga Spanish Scouts 218, says she and her group were increasingly concerned about the population in Ukraine when the full-scale invasion occurred, and wanted to find a way to help.
Along with Scout friends Carlos, Juanjo, Fer, and many others, they came up with a plan to help. Their ideas gained traction in their community and beyond, and before they knew it, they were able to directly help over 150 people in Ukraine. Here’s how they did it.
Scouts in Autol, Spain raise over EUR3,500 for Ukraine
Lorena’s Scout group is based in Autol, a small village in La Rioja, in the north of Spain. Their first idea was to host a “solidarity walk” to raise money and awareness for displaced people in Ukraine. All Autol Scouts participated, from 8 to 60 years old, while their village’s city hall provided great support.
Showing how one person’s initiative can inspire others, Scouts in Autol received waves of support from regular citizens in Autol and neighbouring towns. Lorena says one of the best moments was seeing the full community participation, noting that “even the ones who couldn’t come to the walk donated some money anyway.”
The Autol Scouts managed to raise more than EUR3,500, including funds from the solidarity walk, donations from regional Scouts, and matching funds from a corporate supporter.
From there, they contacted local factories to find one that could support them in getting shoes to their friends in Ukraine. They decided to work with Chiruca factory, which offered to sell them 155 pairs of high-quality tennis shoes at a heavily discounted price.
Finally, they searched for a good and safe way to send the shoes - packed into eight shipments - and arranged transportation for EUR400. Kateryna, a Scout in Ukraine, helped coordinate, receive and distribute the packages.
Sending shoes with a special Scouting touch
The Spanish Scouts wanted to add a special and personal touch to their deliveries, so they got together to prepare drawings and letters to send in their shoe shipments to Ukraine.
Lorena says her Scouts wanted to help and support with aid to Ukraine as soon as they heard about it. “The Scouts were really empathetic towards Ukrainians, especially children,” so it was important for adult leaders to create opportunities for them to help in useful and meaningful ways.
Scouts of all ages learning as they support Ukraine
Lorena found that even young Scouts had questions and concerns about the war. Their natural curiosity and empathy led them to ask a lot of questions, including whether families were being separated and whether they could even return home.
That’s why Lorena, along with thousands of Scout Leaders worldwide, decided to open a conversation with her Scouts.
“They were hearing the Spanish news, so we decided to explain the whole situation to them - not only the military side. We told them that lots of people were leaving their houses without anywhere to go and with nothing to take with them," said Lorena Martínez, Scout Leader, Monte Yerga Spanish Scouts 218.
Lorena and other adult volunteers also helped Scouts learn about media literacy, including the importance of checking and using various sources and identifying fake news.
The activities run by Scouts in Autol were an opportunity for young people to learn about humanitarian crises, emergency response, and peace and conflict while developing and demonstrating humanity and compassion for others.
Scouts of all ages participated in planning and logistics for the solidarity walk, as well as coordinating the shipment of shoes. By getting even the youngest Scouts involved in drawing and making notes for their friends in Ukraine, they discovered meaningful ways to express empathy.
How to help during a crisis
Lorena understood that coordination is key to avoiding causing any bottlenecks or issues in a humanitarian crisis situation like Ukraine.
To make sure her group sent necessary supplies to the right place, she coordinated with the National Organization of Scouts of Ukraine (NOSU), which has been on the front lines of humanitarian relief since the beginning of the full-scale war.
Did you know? You can find official Scout contacts in WOSM’s directory.
Nadiia, a Scout volunteer in Ukraine, says the situation in her country became direr as winter approached, including the need for warm clothes and shoes. With that, she recommended that Lorena and her team of Scouts try sending shoes.
Lorena also understood that if she wanted to take action, she needed to take the first step and ask others to follow: "My personal advice is that any help is better than nothing. At the same time, we learned that there are more good people than we imagine next to us.”
The lessons learned were to coordinate based on needs, involve people of all ages, and not underestimate the power of community.
The proof of their success comes not only in their impressive EUR3,500 in donations but also in the photos and testimonials of Scouts and others receiving the eight shipments from Spain.
Scouts who want to help in a crisis like Ukraine should read our guide How to help during a humanitarian crisis for tips on how to help in a safe and effective way.
