United in the Common Cause to Help People in Ukraine

The act of aggression from russia caused thousands of injuries and deaths in Ukraine as a result of explosive weapons, and missile attacks. However, Ukrainians are dying not just by gunshots and shrapnel, but also because the most basic necessities of existence are not available. Medical supplies, on which people’s lives are dependent, are extremely difficult to obtain, as standard methods of getting medication have been destroyed. Many people suffer from chronic health problems due to a lack of critical medications such as L-thyroxine, anti-epileptic medicine, and insulin.

One of NIX United’s initiatives to help people who are in urgent need in Ukraine pulled us together with Charlie Cawsey, the founder of United With Ukraine. United with Ukraine is a non-profit organization helping deliver medical supplies to Ukraine. They collected a new base of supplier contacts and volunteer networks from Ukraine, Poland, the UK, and France, to source, ship, and deliver medical aid to Ukraine every week.

United in the Common Cause to Help People in Ukraine

Charlie, can you tell us about your life before you started United with Ukraine?

I’m a 26-year-old entrepreneur from the United Kingdom. Some years ago I applied to join the armed forces full-time but was rejected due to a late diagnosis of autism. Since then I’ve been an active supporter of people with mental health, advocating for autism and ADHD in particular. I also believe that when one door closes, another one opens, so a bit later, in April 2021, I became a founder of Type One Style, the company that produces patches for diabetics.

What prompted your decision to establish a fund to assist the Ukrainian people?

My girlfriend has type one diabetes and I was horrified at the thought of a lack of supplies for diabetics in Ukraine. I wanted to help as I knew they are an often forgotten group and it all snowballed from there. Due to my experience in medical equipment distribution, pharmaceuticals, and e-commerce in the first weeks of the war, I launched United with Ukraine.

To help more people, United with Ukraine needs financial donations and urges individuals to contribute any extra medical equipment they can, such as diabetes kits or first aid supplies. To facilitate this task, the NIX United team created a pro-bono website for the United With Ukraine in just a matter of days. For us, being a part of this means giving support by doing what we do best, which is quickly developing an online platform that can, in a short time, carry out all its functions of fundraising. With its help, during 3 months of the war, volunteers in Ukraine received medical equipment and medication every week, which they then distributed to the hospitals most in need. The entire cost of the provided equipment and medications has already surpassed $3,000,000

What is the most sought-after fundraising position at the moment? How is United with Ukraine, with its focused supply of rare medical components, better than conventional humanitarian aid with its clothes and diapers?

The most sought-after goods are heavy medical equipment, like ventilators and incubators, as well as tactical medicine, ambulances, and wound care products. We can rely on the rest of the world to donate clothing and diapers, so donating more of these items is a wasted effort. There is already a lack of medical equipment which directly saves lives, so we knew the best way to help Ukrainians was to do the hard stuff and focus on high-value medical aid.

United with Ukraine is now assisting more than 32 Ukrainian hospitals. All of their requirements may be met on the domestic market, eliminating the need to import pharmaceuticals from overseas, pay delivery costs, and travel for weeks, as long as the organization gathers sufficient funds.

Describe the procedure: how do you receive requests? Do you order supplies directly or through some centers?

We’re working with connections at hospitals across Kharkiv, Odesa, Sumy, Kyiv, and Lviv, with people we can talk to one-on-one. They know where supplies need to go and who needs them the most right now. We have a network of reliable volunteers in Ukraine who help us coordinate the delivery of humanitarian aid to hard-to-reach places. Most of our supplies are donated in kind from hospitals, clinics, and patients. We order some supplies, but a lot of our funding goes to logistics. Given our newfound access to enormous amounts of medical goods ready to transport, our objective is to raise $15 million or more.

What was it like to collaborate with NIX United? What other kind of help for United with Ukraine might you need?

It’s been fantastic. NIX is very fast and their work is high quality. They understand tasks well and deploy impactful changes. It’s also just great communicating with them.

To those who are reading this, if you also want to help us continue to give medical assistance to individuals in need in Ukraine, you may share this information with others, donate your old medicine, or join our efforts to finance blood glucose meters, test strips, refillable pens, lancets, and other supplies. Small donations are important, and you may simply save lives by donating the money you would spend on your coffee.

NIX United is a strong supporter of Ukraine’s struggle for independence. NIX and its partners have raised and given $20 million to the Ukrainian army since the beginning of the war. Many of our colleagues at NIX have also volunteered to continuously deliver automobiles, drones, ammunition, and protective equipment. The team participates in humanitarian initiatives and fights in the Ukrainian cyber army. Join us and help us save thousands of Ukrainian people by making a donation to United with Ukraine!