Raglan’s Fiona McNabb has returned from a second volunteer trip to Lviv, Ukraine, determined to continue raising awareness of the ongoing war and the resilience of the Ukrainian people.
During her time in western Ukraine, Fiona again worked alongside local and international volunteers preparing meals for frontline soldiers, supporting displaced families and helping community organisations responding to the impacts of the war.
This year she also travelled to Kyiv to document some of the country’s most significant memorials and historic sites.
“I wanted to photograph places that tell Ukraine’s story,” Fiona says. “I visited Independence Square, where the 2014 Maidan protests led to the overthrow of the pro-Russian government, the memorial to fallen soldiers, including New Zealanders, and Freedom Square, where captured Russian military equipment is displayed, including a New Zealand ambulance donated by KIWI K.A.R.E that was destroyed in a drone strike.”
Her journey also took her to Kyiv’s historic churches, including St Sophia Cathedral and St Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery – enduring symbols of the country’s cultural heritage and among the places Ukrainians are fighting to protect.
Fiona is sharing photographs and personal stories from her time in Ukraine through a series of community talks, offering a firsthand insight into everyday life in a country at war and the vital work of volunteer organisations.
She is also continuing to raise funds for two grassroots organisations she worked with – the Lviv Volunteer Kitchen, which prepares around 40,000 dehydrated meals each week for frontline soldiers, and NGO PTAHA, which supports civilians fleeing conflict zones.
Photos from Ukraine: Volunteering in a Country at War is a talk and photo exhibition by Fiona McNabb at the Raglan Old School Arts Centre.
Presentations will be held on Sunday, July 26, at 1pm and Sunday, August 2, at 1pm. Doors open one hour before each talk, giving visitors time to view the exhibition before the presentation begins.
