"Operation Minibus", summary of efforts over the last two weeks

I'm in Oslo, but the #operationminibus is still ongoing. I have collected quite some money for humanitarian aid for Ukraine, and I feel a quite big responsibility - is it "value for money"? Could it be spent better? What is actually the purpose of the aid - and does it differ from what the donors thought was the purpose? Some people had reservations against aiding the military - but did that apply only to "lethal aid", or any kind of aid - like, food for the army? Do we get more "bang for the money" compared to the professional NGOs, like the ICRC? Currently, aid is most desperately needed in places like Mariupol - getting aid there and people out from there is certainly beyond our capabilities - it's more or less beyond anyones capability, though the ICRC is probably one of the organizations better suited for that task. Anyway, I suppose there will always be dilemmas like this, and I believe "we" are doing a good job. After all, no money has been spent on salaries, everything on fuel, food, vehicles and some for other supplies going into Ukraine.

Some runs have been for internal logistics at the Polish side of the border, including a trip to Warzsawa to pick up more sleeping bags, torches, madrasses and other equipment, several runs have been made into Ukraine, here is the (probably not complete) overview of deliveries done into Ukraine after my departure:

• One quite worn-out diesel-driven nine-seat T4, bought from "our" budget for less than the wreck price (but not "street legal" in Poland as it has been standing for some time without insurance). repaired (for free) and fitted with new winter tires and new battery (delivered to serve on the front lines). JJ thinks this vehicle has a good engine. To me it looks like crap.

• Another 9-seat T4 bought from "our" budget. It has a dual fuel system, with both a diesel tank and an LPG tank, and we got some repair works done for free on it. I think the dual-fuel system is very nice for conditions where there may be difficult to source fuel. This has been donated to the city council of Lviv.

• Lots of food (mostly paid for by "our" budget), probably around 2500 kg.

• Sleeping bags, winter sleeping bags, flash lights and gloves. Gloves paid by our budget.

• Military pants, tactical shoes, night vision goggles, winter sleeping bags, flash lights, first aid equipment

Some of it has been delivered to Радомишль, nearby Kyiv, some "just" to Lviv (where it will probably be transported by others further into Ukraine).

Some photos

Full size photos at https://ipfs.io/ipfs/QmUJ8fpJo3QmQ4yctp3x6ktdEZqeS55D67FWAcR47jK487

Accounting

Some accounting ... donations (income):

• 50 kNOK - designated a minibus (and not military aid)
• 3 kNOK - designated humanitarian aid (not military aid)
• 10 kNOK
• 16 kNOK
• 1 kNOK - received by bank

78 kNOK cash exchanged into 37128 PLN, and 1 kNOK in the bank.

Money spent (costs):

Vehicles:

• PLN 2000 - caravelle with 9 seats (donated to the army)
• PLN 600 - tires for first T4
• PLN 450 - battery for first T4
• PLN 130 - delivery of first T4 (return trip by train and taxi)
• PLN 9100 - caravelle with 9 seats and valid documents. It was donated to the city council of Lviv. (it would probably be more useful further east?)
• PLN 0 - repair of cars? Donated service?

Fuel and misc:

• PLN 300 - petrol money for transporting some confused refugees from Warszawa to Suwalki and back again (we got told that we shouldn't blame them - people in shock can't always think straight).
• PLN 550 - rent of big van for 3 runs with sleeping bags + misc equipment
• PLN 0 - Diesel for the van when transporting sleeping bags have been donated by another organization
• PLN 450 (?) - diesel for the first T4
• PLN 340 - fuel for the BMW
• PLN 200 - fuel for Kamil's car
• PLN 280 - petrol, 23rd of March trip
• PLN 341 - petrol for second T4
• PLN 194 - gas for second T4 (with dual-fuel system)
• PLN 200 - petrol for Wojtek's van
• PLN 500 - petrol

Other:

• PLN 530 food for Ukraine
• PLN 3000 more food shipped to Radomyśl
• (PLN 3000 even another planned food shipment for Radomyśl?)
• PLN 300 - 30 pairs of gloves
• PLN 20 - petrol-station purchase of two D-size batteries to check if it would fit into the flashlights. It didn't (and we think it's a design fault).
• NOK 60 - credit card purchases, food and coffee for volunteers and refugees