New book chronicling election observers' experiences, raises funds for orphans (04/09/06)

New book chronicling election observers' experiences, raises funds for orphans

by Bohdana Matchak

LVIV - When Ukrainians who have lived their entire lives in America certify their love for Ukraine, not only with their hearts and thoughts but with their deeds, this act gives our nation a new hope. These Ukrainian Americans are more "Ukrainian" than residents of Ukraine who often do not act on behalf of our own causes, for our own people.

I refer here to those individuals who, during Ukraine's most trying moment during the third round of elections for the president of Ukraine (December 26, 2004), left their jobs and traveled as election observers to Donetsk. The book "Poklyk Sumlinnia - Conscience Calls" which was presented at the Ethnographic Museum in Lviv, Ukraine, on Friday, January 11, at 4 p.m. is a product of this commitment.

Roksolana Tymiak-Lonchyna is a dentist from Chicago. Though born far from Ukraine, this woman was not indifferent to events in our country. She initiated the fund Starving for Color with her exhibit of black-and-white photos of orphaned and abandoned children of Lviv in October 2002 at the Ukrainian National Museum in Chicago. Under the auspices of Ss. Volodymyr and Olha Parish, an account was opened for the purchase of infant formula to nourish the little orphans.

Since October of 2002 Dr. Tymiak-Lonchyna has traveled to Ukraine at her own expense and purchased this formula for the children in the orphanages. As a result of her trip to Donetsk as an election observer, an orphanage in that city has become a beneficiary of the Starving for Color fund.

Her book "Conscience Calls - Poklyk Sumlinnia," which she insisted on publishing in Ukraine using a Ukrainian publisher, is another example of her and her husband, Vassyl Lonchyna's, dedication to Ukraine. This book is a photojournalistic document of the two-week stay of the Lonchynas in Lviv, Kyiv and Donetsk. The text is in English and Ukrainian displayed in parallel columns for ease of translation.

A special feature of this book is that it portrays Ukraine, and especially Donetsk, in a very positive light. After reading this book you have a desire to see Ukraine for yourself and meet its people.

The book was introduced in Chicago on the anniversary of the Orange Revolution. A week later it was presented in New York City. In both cities all available copies of the books were sold.

"In this book I bring attention to the people, their feelings, modes, their daily lives, their surroundings during our two-week journey. I am not a politician or a historian, so you will not find any political or historical comments. I do bring attention to the role of the observer, obligations, preparations and responsibilities during the elections for the president of Ukraine," said Dr. Tymiak-Lonchyna at the book presentation in Lviv.

The book also is a vehicle to help Ukrainian orphans. From the profits of this book, more infant formula will be bought to nourish the youngest children - age 5 days to 3 years - in the Lviv orphanages and an orphanage in Donetsk.

Dr. Myroslava Pawlyk, the head doctor of Lviv Orphanage No. 2, stated during the book presentation: "We have been working with Dr. Roksolana since 2002. As a result of her photo exhibit, funds collected for the Starving for Color fund were used to purchase infant formula. Our children, when they are born, are mostly unwanted children. In many cases they are malnourished and suffer from anemia due to poor nutrition. In order for these children to pull through this critical condition, besides medical treatment, proper nourishment is imperative. This nourishment, as we know, is expensive and prohibitive and Dr. Roksolana was able to assist us in this respect."

Dr. Tymiak-Lonchyna called on participants: "Today I am appealing to the citizens of Ukraine, the inhabitants of Lviv to join this fund and help your children start with hope for a better and healthier life. A healthy body has a healthy soul, and the soul of a nation is all of our children."

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