Since launching Positive Mayo, I continue to be amazed every day as I discover incredible initiatives and unsung heroes who truly deserve to be in the spotlight.
Let me tell you about the emotion I felt yesterday while scrolling through a thread that began on the Instagram page of a little-known French baker, Loïc Nervi, who regularly spends a few weeks driving his truck to produce and deliver bread in Ukraine, in forgotten villages.
BREAD is at the heart of Ukrainian culture, and the Russians are deliberately destroying grain fields by fire—a way to starve, cut off income… and strike at a powerful symbol.
I discovered the organization Bake For Ukraine, co-founded by Maria Kalenska and Mykola Nevrev, which works to preserve Ukraine’s rich baking heritage and carries out various charitable actions, such as training volunteers to distribute free bread to those in great need. Among them is Dutchman Willem Kaleb.
We must also get to know the wonderful organization Good Bread in Kyiv, which combines the inclusion of people with mental disabilities with charitable bread distribution throughout the country, especially in the areas most severely affected by the fighting.
The renowned English journalist Felicity Spector has been actively involved for years in this world of bread; she even wrote the book Bread And War, the sales of which support Bake For Ukraine. You’ll find the link to the book on her Instagram page.
The symbolism of bread is deeply rooted in many cultures around the world. It’s not just a staple food—it often carries spiritual, social, and cultural significance. I used the example of Ukraine here, but I’d love to soon tell you about other regions where, every day, bakers offer bread to nourish both the body and the soul.
In the meantime, feel free to support all the people mentioned here—a way to feel good by doing good 😉
The link to their Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/my.ko.la/
https://www.instagram.com/felicityspector/
https://www.instagram.com/mkalenska/
https://www.instagram.com/loic_nervi/