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Life in the Ukraine is at a standstill for most people with their lives being turned upside down due to the Russian invasion on the 24th February 2022. Many families have had to evacuate the country, some are still unable to leave, and many civilians and soldiers have unfortunately died.
For most people in Ukraine the most challenging aspect currently is to find a route out of the Ukraine and to do so safety. Whilst doing this they need to be aware of what routes are under bombardment from Russian forces and which routes are safe.
One way to safely leave Ukraine is via transport arranged by volunteers from other countries. These volunteers are willing to drive vehicles whether it be a car, minibus or coach to the boarders and pick up as many Ukraine civilians wishing to flee as possible.
The volunteers and civilians are both aware of the considerable danger they put themselves in for this entire journey, they are essentially driving towards and escaping a war zone where at any moments they could be intercepted by armed Russian soldiers and tanks.
Artur Kiulian, a born Ukrainian living in the US, was one of many who answered the call for assistance. Artur used his skills gained in the tech industry to form UkraineNow, which uses volunteers and messaging apps to evacuate people safely from Ukraine.
“I’ve been building tech start-ups for the last decade,” he said. “I’m an engineer myself, I have a degree in systems of artificial intelligence”.
In brief the process is that Ukraine civilians wanting help make a request online, these requests are then allocate to buses which have been purchased or rented with the money raised through UkraineNow. The drivers are then put in contact with the civilians and arrangement made for evacuation.
Crowdsourcing has helped show solidarity and has saved many people from this terrible war. Showing how technology is a crucial component in situations like this.
Date: April 18, 2022
Author: Morris
