Hello,
Here’s Sebastian from Camping-Pioneers again. In my posts, I usually tell you about van life and everything that goes with it: about freedom and responsibility, the best accessories, and great outdoor experiences..
We always discuss what I should write about beforehand. However, with this particular assignment, I was initially surprised, then increasingly interested, and ultimately very impressed and enthusiastic. So, let me take you on a very special journey that, while somehow encompassing the usual topics of van life, experiences, equipment, adventures, and encounters, ultimately means so much more!
Instead of across all of Europe, to Ukraine.
As true van life enthusiasts and experts, Camping-Pioneers is naturally part of the large community and follows many of the numerous exciting projects in the scene. One of these projects has particularly touched us:
Maik and Caro had already taken some amazing trips in their self-converted van, “Ellie.” For example, they drove through Norway to the North Cape and returned to Germany via Finland. On their journey, they experienced snowstorms, the legendary Northern Lights, and many adventures. It quickly became clear to the two of them: we’re going on another tour through all of Europe!
However, while they were preparing, planning, and packing for their European tour, the war in Ukraine broke out. Cannons fired, rockets fell, families fled, and people died. Could Maik and Caro go on vacation without a care in the world in such a situation? The two realized that this was not possible for them. Instead, they wanted to help, in the places and in the ways that were possible for them.
Maik and Caro established initial contacts in Ukraine and the neighboring country of Poland, collected donations of goods and money, and used the budget they had originally planned for their trip to gather as many of the items as possible that the people and animals in Ukraine urgently needed: food, blankets, medicine, wheelchairs, protective clothing, animal feed, and much more.
Work, stress, and frayed nerves instead of a relaxing vacation.
Perhaps this seems quite relaxed and straightforward right now. But take a look at the stories in… Maik’s Instagram channel. on.
. You will quickly realize how much work and effort went into this project. Here is a small selection of the tasks that the two of them had to complete:
- Establish connections.
- Find out how and where help can actually be provided.
- Plan routes and adjust them as needed.
- Find out what is needed in Ukraine.
- Purchase or arrange for these items in Germany or along the route.
- Collect donations of goods.
- Sort the donated items.
- Repackage the donated items.
- Prepare the Van Ellie.
- Take care of legal matters, such as border crossings.
- Numerous large and smaller tasks.
And after all the preparations, the first trip to Ukraine was finally scheduled. While Caro continued to organize everything in Germany, Maik made the first trip alone in the fully loaded van to the war-torn country. Originally, he had only planned a short trip to the border, but it turned into a multi-day stay in Ukraine. He got to know the people there, brought in urgently needed donations, and rescued many animals from shelters that were injured and homeless.
Effort, grief, gratitude, and joy.
I can’t describe all the experiences Maik had on his tour here. Maik can do that much better and in a more compelling way with his…
. He talks about encounters, storms, crossing the border, the Ukrainian roads, the people and animals he met there, the difficulties and joys he experienced. I really watched all the stories in the highlights and can tell you that I am deeply impressed by his experiences and his commitment.
Maik’s reports make it clear that this kind of trip is something different than a conventional “I’m just transporting things from A to B” operation. The usual questions associated with van life – where will I sleep tonight? What will I eat? Is it warm or cold? Where will I go next? Where can I refuel? – take on a completely different dimension when you suddenly find yourself in a country where war is raging.
In his stories, Maik addresses very personal challenges. For example, when he talks about 14 After hours of driving or following a sleepless night and a day full of work, when he only has the energy to briefly share a story about his experiences, you can feel the physical and psychological strain. This is because Maik witnesses destruction, people fleeing, children who have lost their parents, abandoned and injured pets, and many other horrific consequences of the war.
And at the same time, you see the beautiful moments: when volunteers from different countries become friends, when the local people support each other, and Maik is repeatedly invited for meals out of gratitude, when children laugh and play, and when rescued animals cuddle up. Then you realize that this initiative has a purpose and that, despite all the suffering, there is still hope.
We’ve already done a lot of tours, and there’s no end in sight.
After this initial tour at the end of February/beginning of March. 2022 For Maik, the decision is immediately clear: they need to continue, and there must be further aid efforts! Maik and Caro intensify their existing contacts, establish new ones, and almost develop a routine for their aid efforts. They acquire a new, larger van, make all the necessary documents for aid transports available online, find people who can offer rides in their own cars, and continuously collect, sort, and pack donations. As their private funds are soon depleted due to the campaign, they create a PayPal donation account.so that we can easily support them all.
In this way, the two of them have already organized 6 aid transports to Ukraine (as of July 2022)! Each aid trip lasts several weeks, and Maik spends a considerable amount of time on site. He reports that they now even have a set routine.
“My transport runs will initially take me to my temporary storage location in Poland. I will then stay there and make several trips from there into Ukraine until I have moved everything out of the storage facility. Half the village is supporting me by providing overnight accommodation for me and people who want to help me on site, as well as a large storage area for donations and supplies.”
EThis makes it possible to easily deliver donations to the warehouse in Poland without having to travel to Ukraine. If you would like to provide support in this way, please feel free to Contact Maik. There, at the base camp in Poland, it is also possible to safely park and spend the night in a van; there is a large, secluded, private area available.
By now, Maik has been to Ukraine 18 times, and he estimates that he will make around a dozen more trips during his next tour. He has visited Lviv, Kyiv, and Odesa on the Black Sea multiple times, as well as numerous smaller towns with refugee shelters, children’s homes, and animal shelters. Each trip involves a lot of preparation and hard work, and it is not without risks. Maik has experienced air raid alerts several times, and during his first stay in Lviv, he later learned that a rocket had struck only 30 kilometers away.
But despite all the effort and the risks involved, Maik and Caro continue for one simple reason: the people in Ukraine need help, and they can make a contribution to this aid effort.
“The topic is still highly relevant and, unfortunately, will likely remain so for quite some time. Because the war is not over,” Maik and Caro repeatedly emphasize in their reports. Every day, people and animals in Ukraine suffer and die. Perhaps we have become accustomed to the horrific news from the country, perhaps it is mentioned less frequently in the news, and perhaps we even switch off the TV when we hear new, terrible reports. But this does not change the fact that war, with all its terrible consequences, is still raging in Ukraine.
Maik and Caro are therefore already planning their next aid trip to the country, and as Maik so eloquently put it in one of his Instagram stories: they will continue to do so for as long as people need support.
This is how we can support Maik and Caro.
To ensure that Maik and Caro can continue their work, they rely on donations. Therefore, Camping-Pioneers is supporting the project with 1000 €, and I am contributing my fee for the article. If you would also like to help, you can do so. via PayPal. either by volunteering your time or by donating goods. You can find out what is needed in the following. Insta-stories from ellie.on.the.road.And whatever helps: tell others about the project, share the stories, and make the campaign even more well-known.
I think Maik and Caro’s project is really great, and it’s wonderful that a van life community is supporting each other on issues like this.
Best regards, Sebastian from Camping-Pioneers.
Links
Here you will find all the information about Maik and Caro and their support tours.
For donations:
Social Media:
All links and information regarding donations of goods and downloads:
