On February 24, Russia invaded Ukraine, sparking a conflict that shook the world. Since then, hundreds of Ukrainian civilians have died and millions more have fled the country. Today, the war continues to upend lives.
Between classes, jobs and other happenings in our personal lives, it’s easy to forget that there’s a war brewing on the other side of the world. After all, what does it matter when we have a midterm or a project to think about?
I’ll admit that by default, I find myself apathetic about the problems of others when I already have a lot of my own. But this is a problematic way to live. Just because a problem isn’t directly affecting you doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t care about it at all.
Right now, millions of people are suffering, and their lives are changing by the minute. While we’re chilling at home with a roof over our heads and another episode of Inventing Anna queued on Netflix, Ukrainians are fleeing their homes, uncertain of what their future holds. Even the Russians who oppose the war are facing harsh consequences, many of them getting punished for protesting or having to flee themselves for financial or safety reasons.
There are a lot of different ways for you to get involved in helping Ukraine. Ukrainian refugees need financial support and basic resources like food, water and medicine. You can donate resources or money to various organizations that have people on the ground providing these needs. You can also attend events in your city that people are hosting in support of Ukraine, like charity concerts or prayer masses.
Helping Ukraine doesn’t mean you have to shell out tons of money, and I know that’s not feasible for us college students. Nonetheless, we can all do our part by staying informed about what’s going on in Ukraine, and really, we don’t have any excuses not to. We’re constantly on social media, and platforms like Twitter give us easy access to information about current events. Just make sure to also do your own research before posting or reposting content to avoid spreading harmful misinformation.
The people of Ukraine need others to rally around them during this dark time. I know our personal lives can be stressful and challenging, but we need to have compassion for those who are suffering because of this war. It’s time we zoom out of our own lives and start caring about the lives of others.