As Dmytro drives his car to the next aid collection pick-up point, he glances at his cell phone propped up by the gear stick. On the screen, a Zoom university seminar is underway. Dmytro listens as he negotiates Ukraine’s snowy, wintery roads. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, the business owner spends his days coordinating humanitarian support, and his nights running his companies. “Now I also have to study for a Ph.D.,” he said with a bemused look.
Enrolment in a higher education course, under certain conditions, is one way men of fighting age can avoid being called up by the military. As conscription avoidance is a controversial subject in Ukraine, Devex agreed to conceal Dmytro’s identity by changing his name. He fears others will criticize his actions, but he believes devoting his time to humanitarian projects is a valuable contribution to the war. He also said he has donated thousands of dollars from the income his businesses generate to charities and the military.
“My contribution is my time - almost every day I have to devote time to humanitarian projects,” he told Devex. “I feel a duty not to just wait for this war to end, but to work all the time to bring victory closer and help those who need it.”
About the author
Gabriella Jóźwiak@GabriellaJ
Gabriella Jóźwiak is an award-winning journalist based in London. Her work on issues and policies affecting children and young people in developing countries and the U.K. has been published in national newspapers and magazines. Having worked in-house for domestic and international development charities, Jóźwiak has a keen interest in organizational development, and has worked as a journalist in several countries across West Africa and South America.
