Extensive Support from a Small Municipality in Finland
From the small Finnish town of Oulainen and its surrounding areas (https://www.oulainen.fi), aid has been flowing to Ukraine and Ukrainians since the very first days of the war. The volume and type of assistance have varied in response to changing needs.
In Oulainen and nearby communities, a dedicated group of people was quickly assembled to organise the collection and transportation of aid, for example to the town of Raahe, where several hundred refugees arrived. At the outset of the war, large quantities of basic household supplies were delivered to refugees.
During 2022, the Lions Club of Oulainen fully furnished several apartments specifically for Ukrainian refugees.
In Ylivieska, a neighbouring town of Oulainen, a donation shopping cart for Ukraine has been located at K-Market Mustikka for the past three and a half years. Customers can purchase aid items and place them directly into the cart. Over time, the cart fills up, after which volunteers collect the goods, pack them, and forward them onward.
Most food supplies have been delivered to the Logistics Centre of the Ukrainian Association, from where they have been organised and sent onward to those in need in Ukraine.
Finland also has a highly effective website: www.autaukrainaa.fi. Through this platform, anyone living in Finland has been able — and continues to be able — to send humanitarian aid to Ukraine free of charge. This cooperation is supported for the Ukrainian Association by logistics partners including PostNord, Posti, and Matkahuolto.
Oulainen is also home to the very active vintage engine club Wanha Woima. At the end of 2022, its members began producing so-called trench candles. By the time this article was written, approximately 1,300 candles had been made. Over time, the designs have evolved based on hands-on experience, as volunteers learned which models work best in real conditions. Production continues entirely on a voluntary basis.
These candles have been delivered to Ukraine through various routes: some via the Logistics Centre, others through private transport. All of them have ultimately been used either on the front line or immediately behind it. A trench candle makes it possible to prepare hot food, which is absolutely essential in such conditions. It also provides a small amount of warmth and light. When there is no electricity, gas, or other energy source available, a trench candle still guarantees something vital.
https://wanhawoima.fi/
If not thousands, then well over a thousand pairs of woollen socks have been sent from Oulainen. The most active knitters have produced hundreds of pairs over the years to keep soldiers’ feet warm. Blankets and smaller children’s woollen socks made by the Oulainen parish knitting group have also been delivered, among other places, closer to the front lines and to a kindergarten in the Kyiv region.
A substantial amount of hospital infrastructure has also been sent to Ukraine. These supplies were donated by hospitals and care facilities in the Oulainen region. Various rechargeable power banks have likewise been delivered and have met a genuine and urgent need.
People in the southern Oulu region who support Ukraine are not stopping their efforts. On the contrary, within the limits of available resources, humanitarian assistance will continue actively for as long as the need remains.
