By Dzvinka Kachur

During our recent travels in Africa, we met with Dzvinka Kachur, Honorary President of the Ukrainian Association of South Africa (UAZA) [NPO # 189 – 705 representative], and shared with her about Postcards to the Front. Now, we extend a warm welcome to South Africa into this family of Defender support! They’ve already facilitated two successful postcard-writing events!

A Taste of Belgium is an annual Belgian market held at Belgian Residency, Newlands, Cape Town. Ukrainian Association of South Africa (UAZA) has been invited by the Belgian Consulate to be part of this event since 2022 to demonstrate Belgian’s solidarity with Ukraine. We had a stall and used the opportunity to raise awareness among South Africans about the situation in Ukraine.

We showcased souvenirs made by four generations of women from one Odesa family who are currently living in Cape Town because of the war. The great-grandmother made jam, while the grandmother created flower arrangements and Christmas decorations.

UAZA also provided information about the Ukrainian abducted children, for which there is a global effort to Bring Kids Back UA. [In Canada, you can find out more at the DeTy [Where are you?] project]

We offered two interactive activities: writing visitors’ names in Ukrainian on a bookmark featuring a Petrykivka design and writing a postcard to a Defender at the front lines. This, of course, meant that we provided some quick lessons in writing the Ukrainian language.

People of all ages wrote postcards to show their support. One memorable encounter was with a South African whose mother studied in Kyiv in the 1980s, together with hundreds of other African students. She earned a degree in Zoology. Another was with a gentleman who left Ukraine when he was four. His brother is currently on the front line, and his son wrote a postcard to the Defenders; the father instantly sent a photo of the card to his brother. Although the postcard was not addressed specifically to his uncle, this connection created an immediate sense of care and emotional support.

Most South Africans had no direct connection to Ukrainians but felt in solidarity with the fight for democracy and freedom. They had many questions about the current situation in Ukraine and acknowledged that they receive very little information about what is happening on the front lines.

We are grateful to Postcards to the Front (Canada) for providing materials and guidance on how to run the event. It would not have been possible without you. Thirty-two postcards written at our first postcard-writing event will be sent to the front line with warmth and love from South Africa.

Want to learn more about us, and about how to get started; maybe even organize a kitchen table or book club postcard writing group? Join us for the virtual gathering, Postcards that Carry Courage, Saturday, December 20. Register: https://forms.gle/ZVxq7wy9vQPvxFJt5

Need ideas about what to write? Check our Tips page, and our Ukrainian phrases page. Check our website for tips, How to Run a Postcard-Writing Workshop. Consider a group effort in the New Year so we can send a lot of messages of love and support in time to buoy up Defenders as February 22^nd approaches: the 4^th anniversary since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

Have written postcards ready for shipment to Ukraine? Send them to us at —

Postcards to the Front | P. O. Box 184 | Millbrook, ON | L0A 1G0

Share – postcardstothefrontcanada.com

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