Report 6 | May 5, 2010
Today was to be the long-anticipated meeting with the Donetsk Oblast Vice-Mayor and Secretary of the Donetsk Humanitarian Aid Commission. The appointment was for 11:30 and there were several things to be done before then, but we all met and were on time (myself, Tanya, Sasha the evangelist in Krasnoarmeisk, and Alexi the Consignee from Krasnoarmeisk). We went inside the “White House” (the name of each building housing the governing offices), showed our passports, registered and then went up to the seventh floor where we were to have the meeting. We first went to the Secretary of the Humanitarian Aid Commission. This is the woman that has rejected the Krasnoarmeisk application. The first rejection was because they listed too much data and were told to come back with the data in the format the Secretary provided. They returned with the revised data and were rejected because it was not specific enough. Then they were told their distribution plan was insufficient. On and on the reasons for rejection were given. The flagrant arrogance of this is in the fact that the same office approved an application to send two containers to Mariupol and we used the exact same format in the documents. Add to this the fact that every other Oblast in Ukraine has approved containers with the same documents and the rejection by Donetsk begins looking really fishy. After we arrived we were told that the Mayor and Vice-Mayors were in a conference trying to get everything in the city scheduled for the celebration of “Victory Day” (the anniversary of when Nazi Germany left Ukraine 65 years ago—May 9) and for the President’s visit on May 25. So we sat and we sat and we sat. Ultimately the Vice-Mayor came and we went into her office.
The meetings began with me explaining the inconsistencies and showing the Mariupol containers that had arrived. I showed the letters that got containers approved in other Oblasts. We discussed the situation to no resolution. According to the Secretary of Humanitarian Aid in Donetsk, she called Kyiv and talked with them and the problem is the way the US Department of State operates and the person in Kyiv said that “John Kachelman can change the way they operate.” Then the Vice-Mayor said the problem in Ukraine was on a national level and so I needed to go to Kyiv and change the situation from there. So, as far as the meeting was concerned I am the one tasked to change the operations of the US Department of State and modify the national Laws of Ukraine; and when I get those two tasks completed then they will approve the Krasnoarmeisk containers! Finally, after seeing that nothing more was to be accomplished I told them I was ready to go because there was nothing that could be done. I told them that with their attitudes Donetsk would not be receiving any more containers. I assured them I was going to Kyiv and early on Thursday morning would be meeting with one of the Supreme Deputies of the National Rada and specifically discussing Donetsk’s refusal. They said that would be good but I needed to be sure and explain what they had said. So I asked, “Just tell me exactly what I should say is the reason Donetsk is refusing to approve the application? You have given me contradictory and inconsistent replies. You have approved one Consignee and then rejected another with the same documents. You have said it was first too much data, then too little data, then you said it was the distribution plan. You just tell me exactly what is the one reason I should give Kyiv for your actions.” After another lengthy discussion they decided that the rejection was because we give a pre-load inventory that does not list every item in the container. “How,” I asked, “can I give you a final load inventory when the container is not loaded and we must have your approval before the container is loaded?” Again I was commissioned to re-order the Department of State and change the governing laws of Ukraine. I told them I had had enough and was leaving. As I left I told the Vice-Mayor that I would love to walk into that office at least one time without being in battle!
The remainder of the day was spent tidying up all the loose ends that I have before leaving Donetsk for Ivano-Frankivsk. The next report you will receive will be from Ivano-Frankivsk!
Today I emailed a report from the India brethren as they continue to distribute the container shipped to them. In last night’s email I copied Immadi’s report about the free health camp (clinic) they presented to a village. In the report today I was able to paste in some pictures about this work. If you are not on the “news” mail list, you did not get the copy. You are welcome to request a copy by sending the request to Jennifer at jkachelman@sbcglobal.net.
John L. Kachelman, Jr.
Donetsk, Ukraine
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