As individuals who depend on eyeglasses to reside their each day lives, Muhammad Abdul Hakem Elezzabi and Youssef Elezzabi of Edmonton have been impressed to assist these in Ukraine fleeing the Russian invasion and needed to go away their glasses behind.

After seeing the efforts of different Edmontonians, the 2 brothers held a prescription eyeglasses donation drive and picked up over 430 eyeglasses which have been shipped to opticians in Ukraine.

“We thought lengthy and onerous, persons are accumulating meals, accumulating different provides, what’s one thing that’s vital, however different individuals may overlook?” Muhammad stated.

“We thought eyeglasses.”

The drive was held from Could to July as each brothers, who’re additionally college students on the College of Alberta, cleaned and packaged the glasses with their father. 

Glasses have been donated by way of drop bins on the college and the St. Martin Catholic Elementary College within the Malmo Plains neighbourhood. 

Youssef stated at first, the plain alternative was attempting to rearrange for medical provides to be donated.

“However then we bumped into the problem of … a battle getting companies to donate, since a few of them have already donated fairly a bit, so we shifted our focus to glasses,” he stated.

In March, Edmonton residents Ruslana Yurystovska and Solomiya Cherkavska organized and shipped over 10,000 kilograms of emergency provides to assist their homeland of Ukraine. 

After talking with Cherkavska, the 2 brothers discovered methods to navigate the logistics of sending eyeglasses to a rustic impacted by warfare. 

Additionally they collaborated with former Deputy Premier of Alberta Thomas Lukaszuk who suggested on logistics.

“Like many others, these two males contacted me some time in the past, telling me about their great initiative. How might I not assist that? As such, I engaged with them and assisted them greatest as I might,” Lukaszuk stated in an electronic mail.

“We all know what it is like to not have correct imaginative and prescient … it impairs regular each day capabilities, particularly for those who’re in all probability fleeing in your life,” Muhammad stated.

“I feel some individuals might need forgotten their glasses, particularly in the event that they’re attempting to collect extra fundamental provides.”

Muhammad, who’s vice-president of the Malmo Plains Neighborhood League, stated it was heartwarming to see the extent of neighborhood organizing.

Surrounding neighborhood members and leagues helped the trouble like Miep Raedschelders, president of the Riverbend Neighborhood League and Ken Hemmerling, president of the Duggan Neighborhood League. 

“I do not imagine I’ve ancestry from Ukraine, however I really feel prefer it’s nonetheless vital to assist individuals in want and refugees, as a result of we might discover ourselves on this state of affairs at some point,” Youssef stated.

“So it meant rather a lot to me within the sense that I used to be capable of assist many individuals.”

Within the coming months, the 2 brothers plan on holding one other donation drive for varsity provides for youngsters impacted by the warfare.