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Last summer, Saskatoon’s Nick Bettin decided to pack his bags, fly to Ukraine and help that country rebuild amid its war against Russia.
Bettin is a building maintenance worker in Saskatoon. He said he has no family in Ukraine, but his Ukrainian heritage was part of the reason he decided he wanted to help the country rebuild from the devastation it has seen over the last three years since the Russian invasion.
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“Something just clicked one day that I can take those skills and actually do something to help over there,” Bettin explained.
“I did some research online for several months, found some organizations that are doing rebuilding efforts, and linked up with them, booked my tickets and away I went.”
Bettin spent a month in Ukraine, stretching from July to August.
While in Kyiv, the country’s capital, Bettin repaired roofs, demolished houses that were damaged by rockets and artillery and also helped weave camouflage and ghillie suits for the military.
Nick Bettin said he met and worked with people from all over the world while in Kyiv helping with the rebuilding efforts. (Nick Bettin/Submitted)
He said he couldn’t believe what he saw in the war-torn nation.
“I had to fly to Warsaw, Poland, and then took a bus from Warsaw to Kyiv. Going through it was like nothing I’ve ever seen – tank traps and bunkers – everything littering the roads,” Bettin explained.
“A lot of the landscape was much like Saskatchewan, so in a way I almost kind of felt at home, but definitely seeing all the military installations was completely new and a bit of a shock to me.”
Bettin said he felt safe in Kyiv because it had a lot of protection with missiles and shelling being intercepted by the Ukrainian army.
One of the most eye-opening moments for Bettin came while he was boarding up windows at a children’s hospital that was attacked by the Russians.
“That one really sticks with me,” he said. “Just the extent of the destruction there and what’s happening.”
Because of his positive experience, Bettin said he wants to go back next summer and do the same thing.
“The people I met there were incredible – what they’re going through (and) how they’re handling it,” he stated. “They’re just an incredible nation, and I can’t wait to go back and help them.”
Bettin said he wasn’t the only foreigner in Ukraine helping the country rebuild. In fact, he was joined in the effort by people from many different nations.
“I met people from all over the world; Hong Kong, Finland, Brazil,” Bettin said. “Incredible amount of support there.”
After seeing firsthand what Ukrainians have gone through over the last three years, Bettin is encouraging Ukraine’s allies, including Canada, to keep supporting the nation as much as possible.
“We need to provide more support to them,” Bettin said.
“I know the world is hemming and hawing about giving offensive weapons to Ukraine, because they’re concerned about provoking Russia, but there’s nothing wrong with flooding them with anti-aircraft missiles and anything they can use to defend themselves. We should be doing more.”
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