Mission

KRYLA/КРИЛА (/kɹɪljə/ or “krill-a”) is an NGO founded in 2022 by Ukrainian-Americans, friends, and allies that aims to bring humanitarian aid and specialized medical supplies to places with acute need. We are composed of professionals with unique skills; our volunteers are physicians, medical students, graphic designers, peace corps alumni, people with NGO experience, and more.

Our name Kryla, which translates to "wings", is the title of a poem by Ukrainian poet Lina Kostenko (see bottom of page). It represents the tenacity of the Ukrainian people caught in an unjust war.

Started in New Orleans and inspired by the warmth and resilience of the city, Kryla works to aid refugees displaced by the ongoing war.

Kryla is also a clothing brand with original designs made to celebrate Ukraine and its people, with all profits from sales going towards our direct relief projects and well known and vetted organizations working in the U.S. and on the ground in Ukraine. From New Orleans to Kyiv and beyond, we use our resources to raise and maintain awareness about the war, help refugees, and bring humanitarian and medical relief with surgical precision. We are aggressively transparent in our practices, which is why we will regularly update our supporters about our initiatives, successes, and failures through our website and social platforms.

Our missions begin with targeted humanitarian initiatives led by volunteers with medical and cultural expertise, so that only the most critical equipment donations are sourced and delivered.

We work with large established organizations to ship basic humanitarian goods and employ our network of volunteers and organizations on the ground to deliver unique and high-cost items to their final destination. 

 

Крила

Ліна Костенко

Wings

Lina Kostenko

А й правда, крилатим ґрунту не треба.

Землі немає, то буде небо.

It’s true, those who have wings don’t need the ground

If there is no ground, then there will be sky

Немає поля, то буде воля.

Немає пари, то будуть хмари.

If there is no field, there will be freedom

If there is no smoke, there will be clouds

В цьому, напевно, правда пташина...

А як же людина? А що ж людина?

And in this is the bird’s truth

What about the people - what of a nation?

Живе на землі. Сама не літає.

А крила має. А крила має!

They live on the earth, they do not fly.

But they have wings, they have wings

Вони, ті крила, не з пуху-пір"я,

А з правди, чесноти і довір"я.

Their wings are not made from feathers

They are made of truth, of virtue and trust

У кого — з вірності у коханні.

У кого — з вічного поривання.

For some they are made of faith, loyalty and love

For some -  tenacity and unrelenting spirit

У кого — з щирості до роботи.

У кого — з щедрості на турботи.

For some - commitment to their labor

For some - kindness and gentle care

У кого — з пісні, або з надії,

Або з поезії, або з мрії.

For some - song and hope

Or of poetry and dreams

Людина нібито не літає...

А крила має. А крила має!

A nation, it seems, doesn’t fly

But it has wings, it has wings!