Cottesmore Headmaster In A War Zone – Day 4 & 5

For those of you who did not read the previous explanatory article here, Cottesmore Head Tom Rogerson accepted an invitation to join a cross-party delegation on a mission to Ukraine. MPs from the Labour, Liberal Democrat & Conservative parties accompany him on the trip – as well as no small amount of journalists – but Humanitarian charity HopeFull is at the heart of the exercise. As Tom makes progress in his journey, he posts updates on LinkedIn – updates that School House Magazine will also be publishing. Excitingly, the next of these updates can be read below.

Tytanovi Prosthetics and Rehabilitation Centre, then Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv

The great thing about a humanitarian mission is that you meet lots of humans – exceptional ones at that. Day 4 was a very unusual one & the effects of the conflict really hit home. We were driven in the morning to a prosthetics hospital called Tytanovi. Veterans were being literally pieced back together using the most astonishing technology. One of our hosts was in a wheelchair – he had four prosthetic limbs. His arms prosthetics were fused to the bone & nervous system, so that he could control them using his thoughts.

I expected to be shocked or saddened by this part of the visit, but in fact, the opposite was the case. This unit was filled with hope and can-do spirit. The attitude of the veterans in the programme was truly inspirational. After this resilience masterclass, we made our way to the Kyiv children’s hospital which had been bombed. One or two of the delegation were clearly quite emotional during the visit, but again I was overcome with a sense of hope & optimism. The hospital was being rebuilt from the inside and it looked fantastic. The nurses and doctors we met exuded a sense of strength & calm, which was unexpected, and again, inspirational.

The HopeFull charity’s name is really starting to make sense. Please look them up and donate to their humanitarian programme. HopeFull’s work is all about hearts & minds – to show care for those displaced & broken by the conflict. It is essential work and HopeFull reminds us that the suffering continues & people need care. Their work can be supported here: https://lnkd.in/eEBqKgAf

There is much to think through & many stories of kindness, charity, humanity & resilience to bring home.

Because of my chosen profession my mind has been on education and the next generation throughout the trip. Extracting the salient points and paring down the information gathered is going to be an interesting task – one that will require sensitivity, a steady hand & a clear sense of purpose.’

To read the previous entry, click here. To read the next entry, click here.