Local student presents speech in support of Ukraine at rally

Andy Jung, a 7th grade student at Carmel Valley Middle School, and his family recently attended a rally at Balboa Park in support of the people in Ukraine. Andy made handmade soap featuring the colors of the national flag of Ukraine which he sold at the event to raise money for donation to help Ukraine and its residents.

Handmade soap made by Andy featuring the colors of the national flag of Ukraine which he sold at the event to raise money for Ukraine.

(Catherine Kim)

Andy also made the following speech at the event to remind people of the need for ongoing support of Ukraine. Below is the speech he gave:

“Hello everyone,

My name is Andy Jung, and I am in 7th grade at Camel Valley Middle School.

I’m here to say that the war in Ukraine seems to be forgotten in people’s minds. When I talked to my friends, most of them didn’t know the reality of the war, and some of them didn’t even know that it was still going on.

On weekends, my friends gather to practice football and basketball. Also, they have a good time with their families. Even most of us do not know that children on the other side of the globe have lost their families and homes, and they are still suffering from cold and hunger.

Everyone seems interested and excited about the Super Bowl, but how many people are deeply interested in the Ukrainian war?

I was born in South Korea. Korea also went through a war decades ago. I’ve heard the terrible reality of war from my grandparents who were kids during the war. They also told me lots of other countries helped Korea at that time. Without those countries, I can’t even imagine what would have happened to my country. At this time, it is hard to go to Ukraine and share their pain together, but I believe that there’s something that we can do here. I want to tell them that you are not alone. Please bring awareness to the Ukraine war. Please think about what you can do for them who had to leave their homes and lose their families.

Today, I brought handmade soaps of the Ukrainian flag. I made them yesterday. The national flag is blue above and yellow below. I learned that this flag means golden fertile land under the blue sky. I sincerely hope that the land, which is now stained with blood, will soon find peace, and return to the golden fertile land of the past.

War cannot be justified for any reason. I ask for your support and be awareness. The war in Ukraine is not over!

Thank you for listening to me.”

After his speech, many people applauded and some shed tears, according to his mother, Catherine Kim.