The last few weeks have been both eventful and stressful. The two go hand in hand, to be fair. In a nutshell, keeping you in the dark about my activities only reflects how much work I have put in to escalate and find more favorable results. Becoming the representative of thousands of Ukrainians living in this city came with its own tremendous weight. Add my personal thirst for excellence and private life problems to the mix; it is almost backbreaking.
I had successfully, and maybe luckily, scored a short meeting with the deputy mayor of the capital of the Netherlands. In our short talk, I learned a lot and brought much of the learning back to my city. I took inspiration from there and tried to develop better plans for the Ukrainians in the city.
Not long after a major meeting, I was invited to the Flevopenningen Gala 2023 of Flevoland. It is one of, if not the most, highly anticipated event in the entire region. The foundation is sponsored by some of the largest names and local councils too. Every year, a panel awards new and upcoming entrepreneurs as well as businesses for their innovations, inclusvity, sustainability and economic significance among many other categories.
I was invited as a guest to the black tie event by the local council. My role in the Ukrainian refugee situation, participation with major organisations like Red Cross, Vluchtelingen werk, open embassy and more, all directed towards the betterment of the Ukrainians in the city played a role in my invitation.
The gala was brimming with established businessmen, community leaders and gov officials. Part of the event was filled with cultural performances which enrich the Flevoland region.
There was ample time between the meals and speeches to go around and network. I got the chance to connect with a few businessesmen and push further the idea of utilising the Ukrainian skill and manpower available in the region. The short conversations with mayor's and deputies of different regions of Flevoland brought about plenty new and fresh perspectives.
Defqon1 was around the corner, and them providing space for the gala meant they were heavily advertised throughout the gala and we got the chance to have the first look at the event. There were performances from local artists also.
I was busy, a few days coming into the gala, trying to raise funds for an aid car for Kharkov. Kharkov is still one of the many active frontlines and still lagging behind in receiving much needed aid. Unfortunately, I failed to raise anything from the gala but I did learn a lot and made some valuable connections for the Ukrainians living in the region.
We received a gift bag with some tokens...but the real gift was the knowledge I gained and connections I made. I am honored to be invited to the event although I do not work for the people with any expectations of any sort of return.
Well, that was my experience at the Flevopenningen Gala 2023. The work continues. Tomorrow, is the Ukrainian independence day event that I have worked a whole month for, day and night. More of that on my blog tomorrow!
Affiliate links
Rising Star
Exode
Huobi
Appics
Splinterlands
Actifit
Binance
Ionomy
Cryptex