Intel alumnus chronicles humanitarian aid visit to Ukraine

Let Ground Truth Be Your Guide:
Advice for Humanitarian Aid Volunteers in Ukraine

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Douglas O’Keefe, who graduated from Mercyhurst’s Master of Science in Applied Intelligence program in July 2022, spent three weeks in war-torn Ukraine as part of a humanitarian aid volunteer opportunity. Here, he reflects on his Jan. 18-Feb. 8 visit and shares key takeaways.)

The following advice should apply to any form of humanitarian aid and any area of operation. This reflection, however, deals with my time in Ukraine as a volunteer for an NGO dedicated to improving access to potable water in regions under siege by, or recently liberated from, Russian forces.

On a bone-chillingly cold night during one of Kyiv’s frequent power outages, I stumbled upon Report for America’s “The Ground Truth Field Guide” under a pile of body armor, trauma kits, and water purification tablets in the warehouse that served as the NGO’s base and my home for the week I spent in-country. With nothing else to do but count how many handwarmers I could fit in my sleeping-bag, I read the book cover-to-cover.  I was struck by how clearly the field guide presented its journalistic maxims for seeking ground truth – a term with which all Applied Intelligence students should be familiar. After some reflection and defrosting, I realized that most of these maxims could apply to effective volunteering efforts. I hope Report for America’s guidance and my personal reflections prove helpful to anyone wanting to volunteer and make a difference, however small.

Be There
In the same way that nuanced, current, and unbiased information underpins ground truth, effective volunteering requires that volunteers appreciate the need, desperation, and perspectives of those living through crisis. Being there is the most important step in truly understanding what is needed. Otherwise, donations and volunteer hours are guided by benevolent, albeit misguided, supposition rather than fact.

Be of Service
Report for America encourages its journalists to embed in their communities and serve the common good.  Not only is this the right thing to do, but it increases the likelihood that citizens will share their hopes, hardships, and needs.  A warehouse shared by three humanitarian aid organizations, security services, and a guard dog can get quite messy and chaotic. I scrubbed toilets, made coffee, and organized supplies.  I washed the quick response vehicles, knowing that clean windows might help volunteer drivers navigate more quickly to some remote field clinic during a medical emergency. These tasks are menial, but simple acts of service demonstrate a person’s desire to help a community. Our Ukrainian partners saw that no task was beneath or above me and, with that, felt comfortable relaying exactly what they needed—from more toilet paper to advanced water filtration kits and generators.

Be Punctual
Time is not on the side of journalists, and it is certainly not on the side of those working in a warzone. Be where you need to be when you are expected to be there. It is that simple. A few minutes might seem trivial to the volunteer but, often, their assigned task is the easiest in a chain of increasingly difficult and dangerous steps. Value the time of your in-country partners and they will open a world of networks and resources to you.

Be a Storyteller
Like the best publications and journalists, effective volunteers disseminate ground truth to the widest possible audience. Primarily, this storytelling helps to spread the reality of the situation. More importantly, perhaps, it increases the flow of donations and volunteers to the effected region. Through engaging and truthful recounting of their experience, volunteers have the chance to inspire others and make a disproportionate and recurring impact for the good.

Distilling the above into one final take-home message, I would implore volunteers to seek the truth and, once found, allow it to guide their actions. Time, resources, and manpower are at a premium during crises, so effort must be directed toward those projects that will create the greatest good for the greatest number of people. This may all sound overly utilitarian and far-removed from the more winsome forms of volunteer aid—stuffed animals, chocolate, and toys—and for good reason. These objects do not keep people alive. Be present, offer your help, be reliable, and spread the truth.  Nothing could be more helpful.

PHOTO: Doug O’Keefe takes shelter in a Kyiv subway station during an air raid.