Kyiv Muslims showed their solidarity during the Ukraine’s Unity Day, aiming to help the compatriots who desperately needed help, like wounded and oncology patients. It was on January 22, they held a Blood Donation Benefit at Kyiv Islamic Cultural Centre, with medical workers from Kyiv City Blood Centre arrived on site.

As Ms.Olena Lata, the Transfusiologist, said they’ve always had good results when attending the Islamic Centre:

— We thank the Islamic Cultural Centre for holding such events twice a year, and there are always many people eager to donate their blood. Muslims have healthy living habits, so most of them are fit to be donors.

Ms.Tetyana Evloeva, initiator of “Be A Donor!” project, thinks it was a good gesture to hold one of the Benefits on the Ukraine’s Unity Day:

— Of course, we stuck to the idea of holding such a benefit on January 22, for this is a wonderful way to demonstrate that Ukraine is truly united, that we eagerly help each other,  share with one another and don’t stay aside when someone’s in trouble and danger. We hold our benefits since 2012. Only Muslims participated at first, but then people on other religious views joined the Benefit in 2014. We are open for everybody — for both communication and joint projects, for we do something good, and at the same time we get to know each other better, which allows us to deflate stereotypes. It’s a sort of symbol and living proof that Ukrainians are able and have to unite and do something good for the benefit of everyone.

Indeed, there were people of different religious views among those who came to Kyiv ICC on January 22 to share their blood; there were Muslims and Christians and Atheists, etc.; Ukrainians, Russians and people of Oriental origin; civilians and people in uniform. Among those willing to donate their blood were the Chechen fighters of the Jokhar Dudaev International Peacemaking Battalion.

In 4 hours, the doctors examined 40 people before giving the verdict “fit or unfit to be a blood donor now”. Some people left disappointed — they weren’t fit for blood donation on that day. Anyway, the medical workers didn’t leave the Islamic Centre empty handed: they collected almost 13,5 litres of blood that day, and maybe this would be a salvation for someone.