Voices for Voices Founder and Executive Director Justin Alan Hayes returned to the U.S. early this morning after a surprise 6-day visit to Kyiv, Ukraine in support of the country, the military and the people of Ukraine in their continued defending of their sovereign nation from Vladimir Putin’s armed aggression of the Russian Federation.

Justin stopped at the remembrance wall where he paid respect to and presented fresh flowers for the fallen service heroes from Ukraine and other nations who gave their lives while fighting for peace and freedom since the unprovoked war began in 2014. While on Ukrainian soil Justin Alan Hayes met with Inna Sovsun, current member of Ukraine Parliament, Deputy Head of Голос party and who was the First Deputy Minister of Education and Science (2014-2016). Inna’s episode of The Voices for Voices TV show and podcast that was filmed at the CouCou cafe in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv will go live during the month of June.

Justin additionally met and filmed a segment with Микола Кулеба, Ombudsman for Children with the President of Ukraine (2014-2021) and CEO of “Save Ukraine / Спасемо Україну” at a press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine. At the presser Save Ukraine welcomed back a 17 year old boy named Vlad, who was captured, interrogated and tortured by Russia’s FSB before being released back to his Ukrainian mother in Moscow, Russia who both then returned to Kyiv shaken but alive. Thank you for everything you are doing Mykola and team.

Before departing Ukraine, Justin Alan Hayes spent time on the beautiful new campus of American University Kyiv (AUK), set in the heart of the Kyiv waterfront oblast. AUK is starting to educate and train the next generation of leaders from Ukraine and around the world. Justin toured AUK with Founding Rector of AUK, Roman Sheremeta while making an economic pledge towards an AUK student scholarship from Voices for Voices.

On the mission trip to Ukraine during a time of war, Hayes commented, “As a world leader and head of Voices for Voices, it is vital for me to go to the people, help assist with economic & humanitarian aid and to ultimately provide the ways and means for the people to express and share their voices with the world, even if that means risking my own life.”

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