Local man providing innovative quick-fix to keep Ukrainians warm

THE son of a Gortin farming family is currently heading up what could prove to be one of the most deciding innovations to hit Ukraine since the war began in February 24, 2022.

Harry Blakiston Houston, supported by an international team of engineers and other professionals, is leading a project to replace shattered windows in Ukraine, thereby insulating homes, and protecting people from the deathly cold of the Ukrainian winter.

Earlier this week, Harry, a 26-year-old engineer from the University of Cambridge, spoke with the UH to explain how this life-saving project came about, the vast potential it has, and what local people can do to help it realise that potential.

“It is estimated that between one and ten million windows have been blown out in Ukraine since the beginning of the war,” started Harry, a former pupil of Gortin Primary School.

“Shattered windows were a problem – but not a critical one – during the warmer months, but now the winter has arrived, the cold has become one of Russia’s deadliest weapons.”

When most of us think of the weapons that claim lives in war, we imagine machines of intelligent design, conceived and constructed to spread death and destruction.

Auto-piloted drones that reduce buildings to rubble; bombs that make desolate flatlands of towns; and machine guns that spray streams of bullets without reprieve, teeming death upon whatever happens to stands in their way. For those who watch from afar, these are the dramatic scenes that constitute war.

But, for many people who live in conflict areas, often their everyday reality is coloured by more subtle shades of suffering. Through the winter months in Ukraine, it is the cold that dominates daily existence for many people.

“The Russians have weaponised the cold. But, with a very simple, frugal, idea, we can remove that weapon. First we want to replace every window in Izyum. Then we want to replace every window in eastern Ukraine,” leveled Harry.

So, what is this ingeniously simple and effective idea that Harry believes can drastically improve the lives of people in Ukraine?

“Basically, Insulate Russia have designed, built and tested a solution that Ukrainians can use to replace the shattered windows to get them through this harsh winter.

“The solution insulates like double glazing, lets light through, costs £10 per square meter of the window, and can be built at home in 15 minutes from basic materials,” said Harry.

As Harry mentioned, the first work that Insulate Ukraine did on the ground was in the city of Izyum – an area that was decimated in a bloody battle in March 2022.

“The city was destroyed in the battle and the Russians took control of it for a while,” said Harry. “The signs of war are everywhere.”

When Ukraine reclaimed the city, a mass grave holding 450 people was found. Most of those found within, said Harry, are believed to be civilians.

“We were looked after by a mother of one of the buried. She was protective and attentive to the point of being overbearing – but we knew why. There is just so much pain and loss there. But still they are happy people,” reflected Harry.

The first person to benefit from Insulate Ukraine’s aid work was an 83-year-old woman called Valentina. Before she was helped, she had been sleeping in her bath for months.

“All her windows were blown out and the house was freezing. She had determined that the bath was the warmest place in the house so that is where she was sleeping.

“By the time we were leaving, she was already rearranging the house so that she could return to her bed,” said Harry.

And there are countless stories and testimonies that go along the same lines at Valentina’s.

“We went and installed Valentia’s windows for her because she needed out help, but our goal is to have most of the installs done by the homeowners themselves,” said Harry. “That way, our reach is so much greater.”

Quoting an ancient proverb, Harry said, “’Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.

“Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime’.

“This is what we are aiming to do. We want to make these materials accessible for people so that, if their windows do get blown out, they are able to replace them within 24 hours.”

To help Insulate Ukraine keep as many people as possible warm this winter, make contact via Facebook by searching Insulate Ukraine.