
Help deliver baby formula to Ukrainian maternity
Donation protected
13th April update: our small operation of Ukrainian and Romanian volunteers has now expanded to include providing baby food to babies and infants from Nikolaev (Mykolaiv) and the surrounding villages. These families are in an active war zone and it's hard to get to them, that's why we rely on volunteers on the ground to distribute baby food, like formula and baby cereal to those families with babies and infants, who need it desperately.
Hi, we're a boots on the ground small group of Ukrainian refugee volunteers, currently in Romania (Constanța) and a US based friend is helping us set up this page. As the city of Nikolaev (Mykolaiv) is being bombarded by Russian forces encircling the city, hundreds of pregnant mothers and newborns from the surrounding areas are sheltering in the city's maternity hospital. Hope is being born even during war time and gives us optimism for the future of Ukraine and the free world. But, right now the hospital is struggling to get much needed supplies, critically needed baby formula in particular. Large NGOs are somewhat helpful, but formula is in short supply in the area, so we're trying to raise funds, buy the baby formula in Romania and ship it over the border to the hospital. This is an extremely small operation, relying on a handful of resourceful Ukrainian refugee moms and Romanian volunteers. The hospital is seeing an influx of babies born underweight or with infections and moms are losing their milk due to the stress, so they need lactose free formula to help them gain weight fast. So, we are appealing to individual donors from all over the world to send us even a few $$ and we will ensure it goes a long way! A tub of baby formula is about $10 at a supermarket in Romania and we are buying it directly and driving it across the border and coordinating directly with the maternity hospital in Nikolaev. We aim to buy and transport about 500 baby formula tubs over the next few weeks. Hopefully Nikolaev stands and the hospital is spared in the relentless bombing. The situation is so dire in Ukraine right now, but as hundreds of babies are being born, all we can do is pray and hope they get to live in peace and send them and their moms a small relief, in the form of much needed formula. Thank you everyone for your kind gift, we know many of you have donated to many NGOs helping Ukraine, but if you want your money today to translate into action tomorrow, get involved in more direct small operations on the ground, led by individual volunteers doing everything they can to get supplies in fast. We appreciate every penny and we will ensure 100% of your money will be used to buy baby formula for the Nikolaev maternity hospital!
Meet our small team on the ground:

Nadiya Ovsova is a refugee from Odessa and she came to Constanta (Romania) with her three children and a few other moms. Since the beginning of the war, they have been coordinating various donation campaigns, and they have managed to collect and send donations to the maternity hospital in Nikolaev. Despite being a refugee herself, not speaking Romanian and not knowing anyone in Romania, she was quick to organize grass roots transports of supplies directly to the Nikolaev hospital. Her brave fighting spirit and sense of urgency are inspiring.

Mihai Bobocea is a very active Romanian volunteer who has been helping place Ukrainian refugees with Romanian families since the beginning of the war and he is a very involved team member, helping Nadiya get local donations.

Aniela and Eduard Acsente are two Romanian / Ukrainian volunteers who use their minivan to transport the donations from Constanta to the border with Ukraine, where the donations are picked up and shipped straight to the Nikolaev maternity hospital. They try to make several drives a week.
Dorin and Andreea Economu are some of the Romanian volunteers who buy the baby diapers or the formula from stores in Constanta and deliver them to Nadiya's collection center expeditiously. They save receipts of all the purchases so we can demonstrate 100% transparency of how your donations are used.

The Nikolaev maternity hospital Doctors and Nurses receive the donations in small batches, as so far we haven't been able to collect large amounts of formula, unfortunately. But, every small donation counts and can save lives. The hospital staff work relentlessly and tirelessly around the clock, under shelling, gunfire and bombing of the Nikolaev (Mykolaiv) city. We hope that the many babies born there will be safe and provide a glimmer of hope, during these horrific times.

Alexandra Eby is originally from Constanta (Romania), living in the US right now. She is helping Nadiya's operation scale with the help of US donors and this gofundme campaign.




Our collection center in Constanta (Romania) where local volunteers bring donations to Nadiya as she hastily tries to send them back to Ukraine.
Please, if you want to make a direct impact, help our small operation grow. This war will likely be a long one and supply chains in Ukraine (especially the South of Ukraine) are affected. Formula is in short supply, as hundreds of babies are born in this war zone. Small grass roots efforts like ours are really important! Thank you
Hi, we're a boots on the ground small group of Ukrainian refugee volunteers, currently in Romania (Constanța) and a US based friend is helping us set up this page. As the city of Nikolaev (Mykolaiv) is being bombarded by Russian forces encircling the city, hundreds of pregnant mothers and newborns from the surrounding areas are sheltering in the city's maternity hospital. Hope is being born even during war time and gives us optimism for the future of Ukraine and the free world. But, right now the hospital is struggling to get much needed supplies, critically needed baby formula in particular. Large NGOs are somewhat helpful, but formula is in short supply in the area, so we're trying to raise funds, buy the baby formula in Romania and ship it over the border to the hospital. This is an extremely small operation, relying on a handful of resourceful Ukrainian refugee moms and Romanian volunteers. The hospital is seeing an influx of babies born underweight or with infections and moms are losing their milk due to the stress, so they need lactose free formula to help them gain weight fast. So, we are appealing to individual donors from all over the world to send us even a few $$ and we will ensure it goes a long way! A tub of baby formula is about $10 at a supermarket in Romania and we are buying it directly and driving it across the border and coordinating directly with the maternity hospital in Nikolaev. We aim to buy and transport about 500 baby formula tubs over the next few weeks. Hopefully Nikolaev stands and the hospital is spared in the relentless bombing. The situation is so dire in Ukraine right now, but as hundreds of babies are being born, all we can do is pray and hope they get to live in peace and send them and their moms a small relief, in the form of much needed formula. Thank you everyone for your kind gift, we know many of you have donated to many NGOs helping Ukraine, but if you want your money today to translate into action tomorrow, get involved in more direct small operations on the ground, led by individual volunteers doing everything they can to get supplies in fast. We appreciate every penny and we will ensure 100% of your money will be used to buy baby formula for the Nikolaev maternity hospital!
Meet our small team on the ground:

Nadiya Ovsova is a refugee from Odessa and she came to Constanta (Romania) with her three children and a few other moms. Since the beginning of the war, they have been coordinating various donation campaigns, and they have managed to collect and send donations to the maternity hospital in Nikolaev. Despite being a refugee herself, not speaking Romanian and not knowing anyone in Romania, she was quick to organize grass roots transports of supplies directly to the Nikolaev hospital. Her brave fighting spirit and sense of urgency are inspiring.

Mihai Bobocea is a very active Romanian volunteer who has been helping place Ukrainian refugees with Romanian families since the beginning of the war and he is a very involved team member, helping Nadiya get local donations.

Aniela and Eduard Acsente are two Romanian / Ukrainian volunteers who use their minivan to transport the donations from Constanta to the border with Ukraine, where the donations are picked up and shipped straight to the Nikolaev maternity hospital. They try to make several drives a week.

Dorin and Andreea Economu are some of the Romanian volunteers who buy the baby diapers or the formula from stores in Constanta and deliver them to Nadiya's collection center expeditiously. They save receipts of all the purchases so we can demonstrate 100% transparency of how your donations are used.

The Nikolaev maternity hospital Doctors and Nurses receive the donations in small batches, as so far we haven't been able to collect large amounts of formula, unfortunately. But, every small donation counts and can save lives. The hospital staff work relentlessly and tirelessly around the clock, under shelling, gunfire and bombing of the Nikolaev (Mykolaiv) city. We hope that the many babies born there will be safe and provide a glimmer of hope, during these horrific times.

Alexandra Eby is originally from Constanta (Romania), living in the US right now. She is helping Nadiya's operation scale with the help of US donors and this gofundme campaign.




Our collection center in Constanta (Romania) where local volunteers bring donations to Nadiya as she hastily tries to send them back to Ukraine.
Please, if you want to make a direct impact, help our small operation grow. This war will likely be a long one and supply chains in Ukraine (especially the South of Ukraine) are affected. Formula is in short supply, as hundreds of babies are born in this war zone. Small grass roots efforts like ours are really important! Thank you
Organizer
Andra Ebz
Organizer
Sanford, NC