Data and Tech Aid pledges 10,000 first aid kits to Ukrainian civilians

A data technology community fund-raising body has pledged 10,000 first aid kits for civilian casualties of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The recently formed Data and Tech Aid (D.A.T.A.) is working with a charity partner in Ukraine, the KSE (Kyiv School of Economics) Foundation. Data and Tech Aid is calling for personal and corporate donations as a matter of urgency to fund the kits.

The medical kits contain life-saving medical equipment to treat blood loss and other acute injuries, including tourniquets, emergency bandages, blood-clotting agents and a nasal trumpet to secure airways and keep patients breathing.

Tymofiy Mylovanov, president of KSE and minister of development, trade and agriculture to Ukraine’s president Zelensky, has said in support of the venture: “KSE Foundation is focused on providing humanitarian aid to everyone who is suffering from Russian aggression.

“Saving the lives of Ukrainian civilians in times of war is our main goal. We have provided more than 60,000 first-aid kits for rescue teams. One kit saves one life and costs $100. Now we have set a new ambitious goal in cooperation with D.A.T.A. to fund 10,000 medical kits, worth $1m. I ask everyone who empathises with Ukraine to support us – saving the lives of our citizens is the best investment in the bright future of our country.”

In a statement, Data and Tech Aid point out that, subsequent to a bomb blast, “the largest threat to life is blood loss”.

“Thousands of lives could be saved if bleeding is stopped quickly with the right medical equipment. The Ministry of Health of Ukraine has confirmed to the KSE Foundation the need for 300,000 blood loss medical kits. To support this urgent requirement, the data and technology community is coming together as D.A.T.A to secure thousands of medical kits which will be sent to Ukraine,” it said.

Data and Tech Aid was founded in April 2020 by Rob Howes, senior vice-president of Collibra and founder of the 500,000 member Data Community Group on LinkedIn; and Lucy Allen, CEO at Challenge Marketing.

Signed up in support as “ambassadors” are Peter Grindrod, professor of mathematics at the University of Oxford; Peter Jackson, chief data and analytics officer at Carruthers and Jackson; Barry Panayi, CDO at John Lewis; and John Bottega, president of the EDM Council trade association.

In a statement, Howes said: “We’ve all been moved by the crisis in Ukraine and wondering how to help. The energy and support we’ve had from the global data and tech community towards this effort has been overwhelming. We’re very proud today to publicly launch D.A.T.A and show what can be achieved when we come together as a community with a common purpose.”

In an interview with Computer Weekly, he said: “When the war began, it was obvious that I could do very little to help as an individual. But in bringing people together in the industry that I work in, in the data and tech world we could do something substantial.”

He quickly messaged his contacts and “within 30 minutes, the reaction was incredible. I had a dozen people saying, ‘Count me in, what’s the plan?’” He then used LinkedIn to further the effort and convoked a meeting in real life, at Rob’s house in Marlow.

Finding a charity that would accept their money, and which was the right size and had the right degree of transparency for the project, was a challenge. Through a Ukrainian colleague at Collibra, they alighted on the KSE Foundation and went from there.

Howes said that other individuals and organisations with an interest in Ukraine have approached Data and Tech Aid, and that they are exploring collaboration opportunities.

“Our focus is on buying and sending medical kits. At some point, when we’ve hit our target, we will review that and look at other opportunities, whether buying ambulances or rebuilding hospital clinics. But in the short term, we are focused on these medical kits,” said Howes.

For further details on D.A.T.A and how to donate, visit: www.dataandtechaid.com