The story of volunteer Rita

My boyfriend and I arrived in Georgia at the beginning of May. In Moscow, I was in residency, training as a psychiatrist and working as a trauma nurse. It was incredibly difficult to leave everything and go into the unknown, but it would have been harder to stay.

I was under constant pressure and there was no hope. The feelings of helplessness and powerlessness were killing me.

The turning point was when I realised that the world had gone so crazy that I could not tell the difference between what I saw in the psychiatric hospital and outside. 

To be honest, when I knew that I was going to leave, I tried to keep a low profile in Moscow. I felt that helping Ukrainians while in Russia was dangerous for myself. Once I had moved and adapted a bit, I started looking for organisations where I could help. 

I chose Emigration for Action because I am familiar with medicine. And then I found out that they have amazing people on their team : )

We had a case with a family where a baby was hospitalised with pneumonia. They had to pay immediately for a few days’ hospital stay, otherwise the hospital threatened to stop treatment and discharge the child. The situation was desperate and scary. We paid for it. There have been many cases like this.

I’m glad we can help in some way. It is also always very touching when you give medication and people thank you.

It seems like you have done very little, but you feel a tremendous warmth and sense of payoff, and want to help more.

17 January 2023