- Dette innlegget er også tilgjengelig på norsk.
Helge Wold Munkejord donated a pickup truck to Ukraine.
The pickup truck that for many years served as a reliable work vehicle on a small farm in Sannidal, in the municipality of Kragerø in southern Norway, has now been handed over and is on its way to serve in Ukraine.
Helge Wold Munkejord chose to donate his Toyota Hilux 4WD to the organization Fritt Ukraina (Free Ukraine) when he switched to an electric car.
“Rather than listing it on Finn.no (Norway’s largest online marketplace for buying and selling used items) I decided to donate it to Fritt Ukraina. I’ve followed what the organization has accomplished since the very beginning, and I’m impressed and proud of what Norwegian volunteer efforts can achieve,” says Munkejord.
The recently retired IT employee used the vehicle as a farm truck on his farm.
Today he spends much of his time there gardening and doing hobby woodworking. The pickup has been an important “tool” in his daily work.
“The car has been incredibly useful to me. It has passed its mandatory technical inspection, and is in reasonably good technical condition. Now I hope it can be of use in Ukraine and to those defending their country,” he says.
Donated the vehicle after Trump’s rebuke
Munkejord’s engagement with Ukraine had grown over time, but one particular event triggered both a financial donation and the decision to give away the vehicle.
“When I watched Trump rebuke Zelenskyy in the White House, I got angry — to put it mildly. How do you react to something like that? I immediately donated money to Fritt Ukraina.”
For Munkejord, that moment also marked the beginning of his decision to let the pickup go the same way, to support those defending their country.
“In a hopeless world where you can easily feel powerless, each of us still has the ability to act. I strongly encourage others to become members of Fritt Ukraina as a way to stand up for freedom and democracy.”
“Norway has the capacity to do more”
Munkejord is also clear that he believes Norway could contribute even more.
“We in small Norway have opportunities that very few other countries have to provide support. Ironically, our oil revenues have increased as a result of the war. Even though Norway already supports Ukraine, I wish that with our potential we had done even more.”
“I wish Norway would allocate more of the enormous additional revenue from gas and oil to help Ukraine.”
The vehicle has now been formally handed over through Fritt Ukraina and prepared for transport. From a small farm in Telemark, a county in southern Norway, it is now on its way to serve in a country fighting for its freedom.