In solidarity with Ukraine 🕊️
Just minutes after Putin announced that he had made the decision to launch a ‘special military operation’ in eastern Ukraine there was bad news coming from several areas, such as Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odessa, and the Donbas. On that February 24, 2022, the lives of many people changed for the worst, among those people are our beloved colleagues, their friends, and families.
To raise awareness and feel connected to the people close to us we want to tell the story of the Bricks who have been heavily affected by this war.
Even though it was hard not to drop their daily lives and go volunteer full-time, these Bricks have done everything within their power to make the rational decision to help in a constructive way. By keeping their jobs at Clay (which is extremely hard; how do you focus when your country is at war) they were able to send more money to the Ukrainian army and help in many other ways alongside their daily jobs.
From going to demonstrations, donating money and products, spreading the real news on social media instead of the fake, crafting and selling items to raise funds, supporting Ukrainian companies and artists by buying their items, and helping to organize fundraisers, to volunteering at an event in Artis to welcome Ukrainians for a free visit. These Bricks have done it all.
“Every day since the 24th of February I am filled with anger and despair, but trying to channel it into something constructive. I want to use every opportunity to raise awareness.”
- Dima, QA Engineer from Kharkiv
Making an impact
Together the Bricks organized a fundraiser at the Clay office in Amsterdam. In the morning we had a bake sale where the Bricks that have a knack for baking offered their goodies for a few euros that would go to Ukraine. In the evening, games were played and donations were collected. The grand total raised came to € 4,786.80 which mother company SALTO Systems has doubled and donated to the charity of our choice in Ukraine.
Besides this fundraiser, our very own Dima organized a fundraiser for his best friend’s cousin. Who, as you are reading this, is no longer among us anymore, our thoughts and prayers go to his family and loved ones. He and his unit took the very first Russian onslaught, got surrounded, but then luckily managed to escape. At the time, he was recovering in the hospital. He and his unit were looking to buy a dependable car, to mount their armor. In the end, they even raised more money than needed, so they could not only afford the car but also some protective gear. His younger brother became the hero of the day when he (a member of the Ukrainian Red Cross) covered the woman under shelling in Dima’s hometown Kharkiv. Their father also joined up and protected the country in volunteer Territorial Defence Forces.
The Bricks did not only take measures by fundraising but also took physical action. When Mary, Kateryna, and Dima learned about the Dutch company that refused to leave the Russian market, and even worse, was turning a blind eye to the fact that their web portal was used to recruit mercenaries to fight against Ukraine, they immediately went to protest.
“The start of the full-scale Russian invasion in Ukraine was probably the worst thing I have ever experienced. Even though I have been living in the Netherlands for the last 3,5 years, I strongly identify as Ukrainian, and I have friends and family living in Ukraine.”
- Kateryna, Back-end developer from Kyiv
Support at the border
When the war broke out, Dima went to the Polish-Ukrainian border with his friend, where they delivered humanitarian aid and gave refugees a ride from the refugee camp. They were amazed by how well organized everything was by the Polish municipality.
And there were more moments of joy. For Dima, it was a big relief to see a familiar and beloved face crossing the border safe and sound. After over a week under constant shelling in Dima’s hometown, Kharkiv, his mom arrived in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Forced to leave her mother behind, separated in different cities at the very beginning of the war, and with no way to reach her, she fights back her tears after an exhausting five-day trip when she finally gets reunited with her son.
In the meantime, at the Clay office, we collected all kinds of items we thought could be of help to the people of Ukraine. Warm clothing, sleeping bags and blankets, toys, food, and basic medicine got sent to Ukraine by collection points in Amsterdam that hopefully are keeping them warm and make them feel that there are people rooting for them. The holy grail of donations was a drone. This beloved flying robot was donated to the Ukrainian army which they could use for recognizance and correct artillery fire and hopefully save the lives of many soldiers.
After Dima’s visit to the border, his friends from Poland and Germany followed, which was amazing. It still felt like a drop in a bucket for them, but of course, a lot of drops together make an ocean.
Increase awareness online
There’s a lot of fake news that has been distributed throughout several channels or a lack of news in general. The Bricks have done their best to share real news on social media and try to fight fake online communication. Kateryna used the LinkedIn platform to share profiles of people within her network that lost their jobs during the war and are searching for a safe place where they can perform their profession. Being an artist Kateryna also decided to use her creative skills to craft handmade keychains in the Ukrainian flag colors and create breathtaking art to sell through her Instagram channel. The earnings get donated to the Ukrainian military.
All of this might seem like little things, but little things add up. If everyone does their part, we will bring the victory day closer.
- Kateryna, Back-end developer from Kyiv
The catastrophe in Ukraine affected too many people, and many have become refugees. Needless to say, we are shocked and extremely saddened by the invasion of Ukraine. We are supporting the Bricks from the region and anyone else that has got affected.
Clay Solutions - A SALTO Group company is the daughter company of SALTO Systems. A lock hardware manufacturer based in Oiartzun Spain. While Clay builds the cloud-based software that allows users to tap their locks open with their phone, SALTO provides the hardware, the locks that are enabled to communicate with the software. This website functions as a platform to showcase our company culture in our office in Amsterdam, the way we build our software, and why and who the Bricks are. Feel free to browse around, head over to SALTO to find more about the hardware, or apply if you see a job you think you are just perfect for.