Sophomore Yuvi Ottaway has been affected tremendously by the war in Ukraine. 

“I grew up in Ukraine until I was five years old. My mom grew up there her whole life, and I still have my uncle there. I have my cousins there, actually, I kind of have all of my relatives there,” Ottaway said. 

Some are even a part of the fight. 

“My friend–I grew up with him–and he is in the military now so that’s really hard on me also,” Ottaway said. “My cousin, her older brother, is a border guard, so that’s even worse, and he can’t say where he is at because, you know, privacy.”

With members still living there, fear is instilled. 

“The situation that is happening is very hard and very painful. I cry every night; my parents cry every night. It is what it is….” Ottaway said. 

The war has left millions without water or food. Ottaway’s uncle is stuck in this situation. 

“We set up a thing where you can donate money and we send money to Ukraine, and then my uncle has a thing where he provides the food for everyone,” Ottaway said. “He goes out and buys food and then provides it for people because the Ukrainians will not take it from the Russians. It’s like a principle they go by.”

Though there is fear, hope helps keep Ottaway sane. 

“…It’s not like we can change anything or do anything or return people to their homes, but the least we can do is just give them money for at least some food so they will have at least some hope,” Ottaway said. 

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