London group calls for support solving crucial problem in Ukraine

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With much of Ukraine bombed and besieged in its war against Russia, a group of Londoners is making a push to help people there get access to a basic need — fresh water.

Rafal Schubert is helping raise funds to purchase 5,000 LifeStraws by year’s end to send to Ukraine. The devices allow people to easily filter water directly from rivers or ponds.(Derek Ruttan/The London Free Press)

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With much of Ukraine bombed and besieged in its war against Russia, a group of Londoners is making a push to help people there get access to a basic need: fresh water.

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To do that, Rafal Schubert is working with the London Ukrainian Centre and the London Ukrainian Humanitarian Action (LUHA) to collect 3,000 LifeStraws, portable tube-shaped filters that make non-potable water from rivers, lakes and ponds safe to drink.

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“We’ve found that, as the conflict went on, water security has become a bigger issue for many people, especially in eastern Ukraine,” Schubert said, adding six months of fighting have destroyed water systems, electrical grids and other infrastructure needed to produce safe drinking water.

Through community donations and other fundraising efforts, the London Ukrainian Centre has managed to purchase close to 2,000 LifeStraws, which Schubert helped deliver in the wartorn country earlier this year.

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Their goal now is 5,000 units by year’s end, said Schubert, whose wife’s family hails from Ukraine.

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Depending on where people buy them, each LifeStraw can cost $10 to $20 Schubert said.

To use them, all people have to do is open the caps at each end of the filter, allowing water to go in from one end and be used for drinking from the other. The device doesn’t require batteries or additional chemicals, and it can eliminate 99.99 per cent of bacteria, parasites and microplastics.

“This is one of the best products that we have been able to come across because they are good for multiple uses,” Schubert said.

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Each LifeStraw “can filter around 4,000 litres of water, so each straw could potentially sustain a family for a good period of time.”

Though the needs of Ukrainians still living in the country are great and varied, Schubert said his group has focused on helping address water insecurity, given it’s a cause anyone can get behind.

“I can go out and explain to people the value of certain medical pieces, like tourniquets or compression bandages . . . but I think everyone can value water,” he said. “We all know that it’s the most basic human need.”

Though Schubert’s goal is to reach 5,000 LifeStraws this year, he said the group will continue to collect the devices for as long as they are needed in Ukraine.

And while monetary donations can be made to the London Ukraine Centre, he said the group’s preference is for people to donate LifeStraws instead.

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“We do believe this way they can feel they are having an impact and that they have helped someone and possibly saved a life by doing this,” he said.

According to the United Nations, more than 6.6 million Ukrainian refugees remain displaced in Europe. Millions more have been uprooted within their own country.

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• LifeStraws can be purchased at Costco, MEC, Canadian Tire, Bass Pro Shops and Amazon.
• The devices can be dropped off at the London Ukrainian Centre at 247 Adelaide St. S.
• Dropoff hours are Mondays, 4-7 p.m.; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
• For large donations or to drop them off Fridays, call LUC at 519-686-9811.

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