Macclesfield man sending £30 solar panels to Ukraine
A Macclesfield man who used to live in Ukraine is sending solar panels to the at-war country.
Central Macclesfield resident Marcus Lonyon spent over three years in Lviv, in the west of Ukraine.
So when Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, he got back in touch with his friends to find out what is really needed on the frontlines.
Six months into the conflict, he has realised that many Ukrainians are heading back to - or still travelling around - the country.
As a result, solar panels for people to charge their mobile phones are an essential item.
"Solar panels are really handy," said Marcus.
"The troops on the front need them to charge their walkie talkies [as mains electricity has been damaged by the war].
"And the civilians need them to keep in touch with family and provide updates on their location.
"Imagine if your place has been evacuated and flattened, but you want to go home. The problem is, you don't know where your family are.
"The mobile phone signal is down because the masts have been hit, there's no electricity.
"But as Elon Musk has put the satellites up, now they have got a system to get on the internet and therefore communicate. And so the solar panels will help keep their phone going."
A £30.99 donation will buy a 100 watt solar panel.
According to Plugged In Academy, smartphones only require two to three watts, so up to 50 people could charge their phones from just eight hours of sunlight.
Marcus, who is collecting donations from generous people and companies of Macclesfield, was the Editor of English-language magazine Lviv Today.
Other than his spell in Lviv in the 1990s, he has lived in Macclesfield all his life, and was raised in Macclesfield Forest.
He went to Lviv as the parents of a late friend of his was from there, and fell in love with the country.
"I made a huge number of friends there, quite a few who are now dead because of what is happened recently," he added.
"A mother of one of my friends has just been hit by a missile in her apartment.
"A lot of people with aid use it as excuse to clear out junk, and that has been piling up on the borders. Which was great to begin with, but how many teddy bears do kids need?
"But the point stands that we still need to get the right stuff to the right people. And the need for solar panels will not go down.
"Having hitchhiked to Ukraine four times, I've got a network of Ukrainians from my travels who I keep in touch with.
The beauty of social media is, it makes everyone able to communicate more easily and informally.
"And by having solar panels, you can keep that communication going by getting people to charge phones.
Marcus contacts have also sent a long list of items wanted, such as Casio G-SHOCK watches and night vision goggles.
However, a solar panel is the most accessible in terms of ease of use and to buy for.
Marcus has also applied for the Homes for Ukraine scheme, and has acquired a visa for three Ukrainians to live with him in Macclesfield.
His distributor for the aid is a man from Warrington.
If anyone should buy a panel for Marcus to send off, he will work with his contacts which allows the solar panel to be fully tracked through to Poland and then Ukraine.
This means anyone donating £30 for a panel, can be able to receive updates on when their package is received.
This is a transparency that larger Ukrainian donation points can't necessarily offer.
"I think it is nice for donors to be told that you are buying something that the people really want, and here's how we got it over there," he also said.
"If you can get it to me, I will arrange it to go. I've actually done my back in the other day carrying boxes."
Whether you are a Macclesfield business or individual who wants to get a solar panel to Ukraine, just message Marcus on [email protected] for more information.
See Also: Pub near Macclesfield to host Ukraine fundraiser on Independence Day
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