A Murapara woman who fundraised tens of thousands of dollars for abandoned animals in Ukraine says she will continue to fight for a cause close to her heart.
Through tears, Galina Turisheva asked New Zealanders to continue to support people and animals struggling in Ukraine after Russia invaded the nation on February 24, 2022.
“They do need help. I’m happy that my parents are not alive anymore as it would so horrible for them to see what is happening.”
Turisheva grew up in the Kherson region of Ukraine after her family migrated from northern Russia when she was a baby.
She moved to New Zealand in 1992.
She was chairwoman of the All Paws Count Murupara Trust - a small charity that had raised roughly $20,000 for abandoned animals in Ukraine since the Russian invasion.
“There were so many animals just left by their owners who had to run from the area. It’s horrible,” she said.
“The only way I can support them right now is to give them money so they can buy food and medication for the animals.”
Money had been distributed across multiple different shelters, she said.
Turisheva also opened and continued to fund an animal shelter in her hometown which was caring for 900 abandoned pets right now, she said.
“Obviously among those animals are so many who have been injured.
“It’s close to my heart. The horror of the war I cannot even imagine - but the daily reports I get talking to my volunteers it’s just horrendous.”
In Te Puke, Jenya Kostyrina said anger, denial, and sadness were just some of the emotions she had felt since the war started one year ago.
The 35-year-old, who works as an assistant property manager, lives in Te Puke with her dad Valerii and mum Svitlana, who fled to New Zealand in November. The couple, both in their 60s, were granted the temporary 2022 Special Ukraine Visa.
“The first month I was here I was just crying every day - I didn’t know what to do with my life anymore. I convinced them to come here.”
Kostyrina returned to New Zealand in June after a stint working in Dubai. She planned to move to her hometown Lebedyn in the Sumy region of Ukraine but decided against it after the war started.
She had previously lived in Auckland for five years up until 2021.
Kostyrina said she still worried about extended family and close friends back home, but in her eyes, they were “heroes”.
“I still can’t believe it. It’s scary. I have been through sadness, anger, and denial. I am just trying to move on which is difficult - especially because everyone is still there,” she said.
“But I try not to think anymore about that stuff. I think about them as my heroes.”
Former Tauranga mayor Tenby Powell spent five months last year helping with aid efforts in Ukraine with his group Kiwi K.A.R.E.
Speaking on Friday, Powell praised Ukrainian soldiers, saying they were “resourceful and had a whole country behind them”.
He said on reflection the world “underestimated the resolve and capability of the Ukrainians” when the war started.
“The Ukrainians’ capability is significant - they are very, very good soldiers. For some reason, I don’t think we realised how battle-hardened they were.”
He urged people to keep in mind the gravity of the situation, describing it as an “unprecedented event that none of us thought we would see in our lifetime”.
“This is what we have got on our hands. We are talking about the senseless loss of life, destruction of buildings and property.
“We have seen war crimes ... human rights violations at a level that are unprecedented. This isn’t some special military operation, it is a war in every regard.”
Visit the All Paws Count Murupara Trust Facebook page for more information.