Rebuilding as the War Continues

Before the war in Ukraine, brothers Andriy* and Borys* made a quiet life of working with their hands farming in the Kherson region. Every year they planted and harvested wheat and sunflowers, which provided food for their entire community and region. Like many in their town of about 700 people, they worked the land for survival. Harvests were good, though, and just over two years ago they expanded their farming operation to include a granary, oil refinery, mill, and additional land. 

But the country’s economy took a brutal hit because of the war, disrupting life for many farming communities.

“Farming is the lifeblood of Ukraine. For generations, it has been known as the breadbasket of Europe, and farming has remained a highly respected vocation throughout the country,” said Samaritan’s Purse Ukraine Country Director Ryan Lane. “With the onslaught of attacks coming from Russian military forces, thousands of farms and agricultural centres across Ukraine have been destroyed, and the people who are a part of this proud farming tradition are facing immense hardships.” 

Samaritan’s Purse is helping Ukrainians in Jesus’ Name to rebuild their economy, in part, by repairing granaries damaged or destroyed in the war. In addition to supplying much needed food to communities, each storehouse serves as a symbol of hope and God’s provision to war-weary residents.

OCCUPIED BY THE ENEMY

When enemy forces invaded and occupied the area in March 2022, they ripped apart the brothers’ lives. About 500 residents fled. For the first three months of this occupation, both brothers and their wives endured under the foreign presence and tried to live peacefully.

Andriy’s wife, Kateryna*, served as the local school principal and was vocal in her pro-Ukrainian beliefs. As her perspective became increasingly known by the occupying forces, they made life even more difficult for the couple. Unable to take the persecution any longer, Andriy and Kateryna fled to a Ukrainian-held part of the country, leaving their farm behind. 

In their absence, the Russian forces moved in and used their land as a base to launch artillery shells further into Ukraine. This damaged their grain storehouse, mill, and refinery, and looters stripped away what remained. 

Even after their relatives left, Borys and his wife, Anna*, remained in the occupied town. They had no access to running water, gas, or electricity. Enemy threats and artillery assaults became routine. As relentless shelling tore apart much of their home, they survived only because they sheltered in their basement.

PREPARED TO PLANT AGAIN

By November 2022, nine months after the initial invasion, Ukrainian forces liberated the village. Andriy and Kateryna quickly returned home, but found complete destruction. Their first priority was to “prepare [their] outside work” (Proverbs 24:27) and get their farm and equipment up and running again. 

Samaritan’s Purse worked through its grain storehouse restoration project to repair their damaged building, providing a new roof among other improvements. As our staff worked on these repairs, Andriy and Borys were able to work on getting their tractors running again so they could begin thinking of planting in spring 2023. 

But before they could resume the familiar labour that they loved, a sobering task was needed. Russian forces had left mines and other unexploded ordnance that had to be cleared from the fields. With a shortage of professional de-miners in Ukraine, Andriy and Borys tackled the risky job on their own, and soon were back to planting and, in time, harvesting.

POISED TO THRIVE

Last autumn, Samaritan’s Purse completed their storehouse so they could put grain in it again and serve the more than 100 other people who store crops at their facility. This is just one of seven granary repairs we have completed for small-town farmers in Ukraine.

“As Christians, we are glad to be able to step into the lives of these farmers and give a helping hand in the midst of the ongoing suffering,” Lane said. “The farmers feed the people, and so it is a privilege to be able to show these brave families how much God loves them.”