A pharmacist from Ukraine, MA Alona Donenko, has been helping our foundation since April 2022. Alona, who currently lives in the polish Tricity, spoke to us in April and from now on we planned help and helped hundreds of people in Ukraine. We are still planning new projects together. We asked Alona to write a few words about herself, about the last year of her life, here is the story of Alona.
My name is Alona. I am a master of pharmacy. I started my career as a pharmaceutical assistant when I was still studying at the Kharkiv National Pharmaceutical University. Then I worked in international pharmaceutical companies and pharmacy networks, and from 2015 I ran my own pharmacy in a small city of Drużkowa in the Donetsk region. So I am a person quite experienced in this sector, who has many contacts in the pharmacists in Ukraine.
In 2014, when the war broke out, I became interested in the subject of humanitarian aid and in 2021 I joined the international team of the French assistance organization in the Donetsk region.
I implemented support projects for internally resettled and needy drugs, we also supplied hospitals near the front line with drugs.
The morning of February 24, 2022 was for me, as for all Ukrainians, the worst day in my life. I had to run away from the Donetsk region with two of my little children to save their lives. I drove a car 4,000 km without sleeping for over 72 hours. In Poland, I found a shelter thanks to my friends who took me to their home. Then I had the same problems as all Ukrainian refugees: how and where to find and rent a flat, find a kindergarten and school, find a job. But I was also lucky that I met friendly and very helpful people everywhere. I am very grateful to the Polish nation, because Ukrainians here are treated like close relatives. Soon I started working as a team manager at UNHCR (UN High Refugee Commissioner) in the Tri -City and now I am continuing my humanitarian career in the Danish refugee council (Danish Refugee Council).
Unfortunately, I do not have the opportunity to work as a pharmacist, my diploma must be nostryified. I would love to mention the high level of skills of Polish pharmacists here. During this year in Poland I had no problems in any pharmacy to get pharmaceutical help in English.
I support the Farmaceuci.org Foundation with great pleasure. We started in April 2022. It all began with an email from Rafał, "Hi, what can we do?".
After 4 weeks, we prepared the first project and Rafał was in Lviv, where he supplied the necessary displaced drugs. Great humanitarian organizations help Ukraine, but they are not as flexible and as proactive as pharmacists.org. Rafał and his organization implement very interesting and extremely useful projects, supporting not only those in need, but also Ukrainian pharmacists. I wish this initiative good luck with all my heart and I am proud that I can also get involved in it.
I want to help my country, I want to help my countrymen and Ukrainian pharmacists. I hope that the time will come soon, so that we can show all Polish friends how nice, hospitable and how great Ukraine is without war.
