Protect the Hearing of Ukrainian defenders!

The goal of this new phase of "Protect a Defender!" project is to give 150 electronic earmuffs by the end of the month, to Ukrainians at the front lines that lack this basic equipment. Each contribution of just $100 would protect 5 defenders from unconsciousness, nausea, the loss of hearing and speech typical of a post-concussion syndrome caused by heavy fighting and loud explosions (a.k.a. "shell shock"). The electronic earmuffs will be purchased in bulk directly from the manufacturer, saving thousands of dollars. Previous phases of the project (see below) focused on safety goggles, knee/elbow pads, working gloves, and other personal protective equipment. Save ears of Ukrainian defenders by clicking “Donate to Protect!”

Why defenders need protective gear?

Close your eyes and imagine running, falling, crawling, shooting, all under burning sun and pouring rain, 16 hours a day, 7 days a week, and doing all of it for months? Do you feel the dull pain in your knees and elbows, loud ringing in your ears, and hot burn in your eyes…? This is exactly what many Ukrainian soldiers feel after months of the war, and all this chronic pain makes it difficult for them to focus on defending their country. Help them reduce this suffering with personal protective equipment, and focus on their mission by clicking “Donate to Protect!”.

What is personal protective equipment (PPE)?

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is the gear that soldiers wear to minimize the number of routine injuries that are not fatal by themselves, but can cause serious chronic illnesses in the longer term. Examples of PPE include safety googles, electronic earmuffs, knee- and elbow pads, face shields and masks, as well as related gadgets like rain ponchos and water filters. If these PPE items are not used, the resulting pain can lead to constant distraction and loss of attention, which in a war zone can be equivalent to death. Click “Donate to Protect!” and help Ukrainian defenders get basic PPE.

Why we fundraise for PPE?

Personal protective equipment is the next most common thing that soldiers ask us for, once they get the individual first aid kit (see our IFAK campaign at https://givebutter.com/IFAK). Surprisingly, such common PPE items as safety goggles, earmuffs, and knee pads, that every construction worker is required to have, are not included in the standard set of equipment that soldiers get when they are deployed to the front lines. A similar situation is with rain ponchos and other gear that nearly every hiker or mountaineer has, but Ukrainian soldiers lack. Would you help a Ukrainian soldier get these basic means of personal protection by clicking “Donate to Protect!” ?

How will PPE get to the front lines?

We know very well how to get PPE to Ukrainian defenders as quickly as possible, by avoiding many possible logistical pitfalls. Specialty PPE like electronic earmuffs are purhcased directly from the manufacturers in China to minimize costs, and shipped by private cargo companies to Ukraine. Other PPE items like goggles are purchased in Poland or Germany, where they are combined by our volunteers with higher-quality out-of-stock PPE gear like military knee pads that are delivered from and USA. Then, the packages are driven by volunteers to western Ukraine, including customs clearance, to our distribution point near Rivne. From western Ukraine, some PPE is distributed to soldiers that are about to be deployed from the training centers to the battlefields or came for a vacation, shipped to recepients in towns near the front lines using the most popular Nova Poshta service, while other is delivered to the front lines in the war zones by minivans carrying other aid. Clicking “Donate to Protect!” to support this special PPE operation.

Results so far:

Since the beginning of the war, and as of July 2023, defenmders already received from us 370 electronic earmuffs, 565 sets of knee pads, 294 pairs of gloves, 310 pairs of safety goggles, and hundreds of pieces of other protective gear. Please see below some pictures of grateful Ukrainian soldiers receiving personal protective equipment that was purchased using funds we raised in previous campaigns and distributed through our dedicated local volunteers. Now you can also join this effort to provide Ukrainian defenders with PPE, by clicking the “Donate to Protect!” button above.

Why should you contribute to THIS fundraiser?

Sunflower Seeds Ukraine is an all-volunteer organization that responds flexibly and efficiently to the most urgent needs in the hottest war zones in Ukraine, due to our small size, multinational team, and direct on-site contacts that we developed in 2014-2015 and adopted to the new realities in 2022. Working with small grassroots organizations like us, is one of the most direct methods to help Ukrainian defenders, which is much more impactful than donating to big organizations with equally large logistical bottlenecks. Give now by clicking the “Donate to Protect!” button above.

Next steps:

Please click “Donate to Protect!” button to support this cause with any debit or credit card, GooglePay, or PayPal, and track the progress of this fundraiser on this web page. This page will also show your name and your contribution, or you can choose to donate anonymously. Once you complete your donation, you will be prompted to share this campaign on social media—please consider doing so and adding a personal note for your friends.

More information:

In Sunflower Seeds Ukraine, our mission is to save lives by providing medical aid and protective gear to small groups of defenders, and humanitarian assistance to affected civilians. For regular updates about our efforts to save lives in Ukraine with individual first aid kits, personal protective equipment, body armor, and other interesting and useful information about Ukraine, please like our Facebook page and follow our Instagram account.

Thank you for Protecting Ukrainian Defenders!

Sunflower Seeds Ukraine

https://www.sunflowerseedsukraine.org/

Protect the Hearing of Ukrainian Defenders!

By Sunflower Seeds Ukraine

Protect the Hearing of Ukrainian Defenders!

Give electronic earmuffs to Ukrainian defenders at the front lines, so they can focus on the mission and avoid distractions caused by pain. Please help them get the ear protection and other gear they need by clicking “Donate to Protect!”