When Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, theology professor Paul Gavrilyuk spent most of his time teaching classes at St. Thomas. Now, the Kyiv native is dedicating his time to raising over $300,000 for Rebuild Ukraine, his nonprofit aimed at providing aid to those fighting and living in Ukraine.
“I do not even talk to my husband for the past, I don’t know, three weeks, only about food because he’s either traveling somewhere or on the Zoom fundraising,” Paul Gavrilyuk’s wife, Eugenia Gavrilyuk, who is also a theology professor at St. Thomas, said.
While Paul Gavrilyuk is spending less time talking to Eugenia Gavrilyuk, he is spending more time talking to people in Ukraine, as Rebuild Ukraine boasts 100 volunteers living in the country, which he says is why his nonprofit is making an impact.
“We’re able to deliver to hospitals and war zones and military,” Paul Gavrilyuk said. “We’re relatively small and that means that we are nimble in the sense that, if a tourniquet, for example, or funding for tourniquets arrives today, those tourniquets are in the country – in fact, they’re actually saving lives – five days from now.”
Rebuild Ukraine started less than two months ago at the beginning of what has now become a war in the country. In the first 50 days of war, the organization has been able to deliver 5,000 tourniquets, – which help stop the flow of blood to a limb – establish a network of 20 staff and 100 volunteers in two strategic locations in Ukraine, and open a new school for over 100 refugee children and eight refugee teachers from Ukraine in Budva, Montenegro.
“It’s a project, again, in survival,” Paul Gavrilyuk said. “We are able to supply what people need, and because we have social media intelligence on the ground, we have that capability.”
Funding raised through Rebuild Ukraine is going toward saving the lives of soldiers as well as supporting students whose futures have been disrupted by the war.
“Everybody’s lives on the other side have been disrupted, but especially students, especially those who are only trying to find themselves in this life,” Paul Gavrilyuk said. “We’re going to be providing travel scholarships for high school students … and then we’ll also be providing visa support and some limited funding also for college students.”
Paul Gavrilyuk’s parents were still living in Ukraine when the war started. Since then, his parents have fled to Kaunas, Lithuania. Eugenia and Paul Gavrilyuk’s daughter, Christina, lives in Russia, where Eugenia Gavrilyuk is originally from.
“On one hand, I would not like to deny my Russian roots; I am still proud to be Russian but in the worst sense,” Eugenia Gavrilyuk said. “If I could leave everything and go to Ukraine … to do something helpful, maybe I would feel better.”
Although Eugenia Gavrilyuk can not go to Ukraine, she spreads awareness through her educational position and frequently informs her 75 students about the war.
“To mobilize the collective efforts to help Ukraine, people must first be informed,” Eugenia Gavrilyuk said. “I see my mission (as) more to talk to people to explain what’s going on.”
Paul Gavrilyuk is prepared to continue his busy schedule and said that no matter how long the war ensures, he will continue growing Rebuild Ukraine.
“This is going to be unfortunately drawn out and drawn out more,” Paul Gavrilyuk said. “We would measure our success in one element and that’s lives saved, and that means lives as far as the battle front is concerned, and it also means lives as far as the students whose lives have been disrupted.”
To donate toward the effort of rebuilding Ukraine, click here.
UPDATE: Gavrilyuk joined Sam Larson on TommieMedia’s In-Depth May 5 to discuss Rebuild Ukraine. You can view that video below.
Camarae Good can be reached at cami.good@stthomas.edu.
Scout Mason contributed to this report.