On 11 May 2024 Artem found a bullet in his backyard and wanted to make a keychain from it. He tried to saw it and the bullet exploded. Postcode Ukraine is supporting his rehabilitation.
Upon first review of the photographs in Postcard Ukraine, I passed over this image. Imagine an innocent child, hurt while playing, not eliciting an emotional response. Looking over the photographs again, a sadness sparked in me—not only for Artem, but for what witnessing years of live-streamed violence and genocide has taught my body. In 2021, this photograph would have brought tears to my eyes. After seemingly unending sleepless nights scrolling past children from Palestine, Congo, and Sudan enduring immeasurable violence upon their bodies, my nervous system is numb. Frantic outrage for justice has slowly been replaced by helpless acceptance.
I find the overload dangerous, as is the act of looking away. Every child deserves to have their story told, deserves to receive medical treatment, deserves to play and have access to an education. The stillness of Artem’s portrait somehow gives the outcome of such an innocent day—playing in the backyard—more space to resonate.
While rehabilitation is necessary, I fear that the world has normalized humanitarian aid as an endpoint. Artem is in this position because of the brutal ongoing invasion of his country. World powers must hold perpetrators of such violence accountable, or we will never see its end.
I’ve been to enough refugee camps to say with conviction that childhood trauma without justice or repair has consequences. Grief and rage do not simply disappear. Aid matters enormously, but care without justice cannot be an end goal.
Diary of a Volunteer is both an exhibition and a fundraising project.
Postcode Ukraine is a Kyiv-based charity founded in 2022 to support grassroots humanitarian organisations and volunteer groups working directly with communities affected by the war
*US supporters of Postcode Ukraine can make tax-deductible donations through our US partner, Shield of Freedom, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting Ukraine. Donations made through this campaign are received and acknowledged by Shield of Freedom and, through its grant programme, support Postcode Ukraine's humanitarian aid initiatives in Ukraine.
Since 2022, Postcode Ukraine has directly funded more than $500,000 of humanitarian aid projects across Ukraine
Through photography, film and humanitarian action, Postcode Ukraine works to ensure that the experiences of ordinary Ukrainians are seen, remembered and supported.
