Ukraine: Humanity as a lifelong mission

When Valentyna Ihnatiivna joined the Red Cross as a young woman, she had no idea where she had ended up: she knew nothing about the Movement or the organization itself. At first, she was in despair because she did not understand all the terms and abbreviations her colleagues used. But eventually, her desire to be the best at everything pushed her to learn the history of the Red Cross Movement and understand its essence.

“I spent six months in the archives. I gathered information bit by bit. I had excellent material on the history of the Red Cross in the Kherson region. Then, when I became a lecturer and went to some organization, I already knew what to tell them and how to say it,” Ms. Valentyna tells us.

For both women, humanity is not simply one of the fundamental principles of the Movement. It is their life’s work, which they have carried to people and always followed, wherever they themselves were.

“For me, the concept of the Movement meant kindness, mercy, treating a person with love. My mission was always to help a person, anyone who found themselves in trouble, who at that particular moment needed some kind of help. And it could be not only material assistance, but even a kind word,” says Liubov Pavlivna, who had a rule – never to leave work until she had resolved the problem with which a person had approached her.

Valentyna Ihnatiivna gives a similar answer. For her, humanity means giving all of one’s strength to help every person in whatever trouble they may find themselves. She recalls how, once exhausted, she was returning home, completely absorbed in her thoughts. Suddenly, she heard a small boy, about ten years old, who was riding nearby, sobbing. After asking him some questions, she discovered that he did not know his mother, while his father had simply thrown the child out of the house. Ms. Valentyna took him home, fed, bathed and clothed him, and contacted the Department of Education.

“He asked: ‘Why are you taking such care of me, as if you were my mother?’ And I said, ‘Because I work for the Red Cross!’ – they took the boy to an orphanage – ‘I told him, whatever happens to you in life, remember this forever: always go to the Red Cross, they will always help you there!’”

Both women spent their lives helping those who found themselves in trouble or difficult circumstances. But they could not have imagined the hardship they themselves would face.

The escalation in 2022 caught Valentyna as she was visiting her parents’ house. Instead of spending two days there over the weekend, she stayed for three months, while her family knew nothing about her.

There was no electricity, no water, no food. Even though neighbours shared what little food they had with each other, Ms. Valentyna was terribly hungry and lost weight because there was simply not enough. Valentyna struggles to find the words, pausing as painful memories come back.

Head of the ICRC subdelegation in Odesa, Diana Stoecklin, was among those celebrating these milestones. 

“Meeting people who have worked and dedicated their whole life to the Red Cross Red Crecent Movement is a very emotional moment. To work for the Movement for a whole life and still, after 45 years, after 55 years of work, still be so motivated, and such strong ladies – for me, this is very inspirational. I think we all should look up to them.”

Accepting congratulations on their work anniversaries with the Red Cross, the women say – it was all not in vain! Looking back on decades of hard work, challenges and achievements, ups and downs and difficult times, they tell us that even if they had to start all over again, they would still choose the same path.