Ukrainian volunteers Roman Grymalyuk and Ninel Martyniuk, (who had to leave the city of Kyiv after bombings by the Russian Federation, and found shelter and support in Monchique) both began the process of soliciting donations of ambulances.

The project received great support from: the President of the Parish Council of Monchique José Gonçalo Nobre Duarte da Silva, the President of the Association of Volunteer Firefighters of Monchique, Antônio Justino, and the Commander of the Volunteer Fire Department of Monchique Rui Lopes. As a result, two ambulances were donated to ORANTA.

With help from Mr. Clemente Mitra, Secretary of the C.E. LBP - League of Portuguese Firefighters also managed to get an ambulance donated by the Volunteer Firefighters Association of Carrazedo Montenegro.

The project also received support from Portuguese firm, Norauto, in inspecting vehicles and changing tires, filters, etc. When every bureaucratic component for transferring ownership of the ambulances to ORANTA in Portugal was completed, the ambulances left on the 10th of November on a cross-country road trip for Ukraine. The ambulances are now in service on the Ukrainian frontlines in the north.

One of the vehicles went to Loures, where it also carried 1,400 complete surgical pyjamas, which were donated by Associação Help Together/I help Ukraine. The ambulances were driven by five Ukrainian citizens living in the Algarve.

The "Ambulances for Ukraine" project is now readying several more donated vehicles for delivery to the south of Ukraine, hopefully by year-end. ORANTA volunteers are also visiting approximately 20 different fire stations across Portugal to solicit more donated ambulances, medical supplies to fill the ambulances and donations from the community at large.

For more information about ORANTA: https://oranta.pt/ or email oranta.pt@gmail.com.