S'porean couple helping in Ukraine since 2022 explain why they won't stop till the war is over

Lam Baoyan and Rudy Taslim said they are "not reckless" or courageous, yet anyone who hears their story may beg to differ.

The Singaporean couple, both 41, have travelled all around the world to help people in need, from children rescued from trafficking and exploitation in the Amazon basin in Brazil to the marginalised communities in Mozambique.

Since war broke out between Ukraine and Russia in 2022, the couple has travelled multiple times to the frontlines of Ukraine to help distribute aid to those in need.

They narrowly escaped death several times.

On one occasion, Taslim was yanked by the collar from a field of landmines hidden within a forest.

Another time, while Lam evacuated the elderly and disabled by pulling them into her vehicle, a rocket suddenly hit a building just 50m away from them.

Such sights and sounds have become familiar to the couple, who returned to the front lines of the war-torn country several times within the past three years.

They went back to Ukraine after Singapore's 60th national day to continue their rescue and recovery work, with no plans to stop anytime soon.

Served at the frontlines of the war

When war first broke out between Russia and Ukraine in 2022, Lam and Taslim brought a team from Singapore to Germany to help with the Ukrainian refugee crisis.

Yet after spending a month at the refugee camp in Bad Blankenberg, Germany, they felt they could do more to help and were then led to Ukraine itself.

Explosions, sirens, military drones — the couple had to adapt quickly to the realities of a war-torn country.

Serving at the hospitals, they would bring medical equipment, such as operating theatre lights, medication, operating theatre beds, and other supplies to the front lines, allowing them to serve the civilians both practically and provide emotional support to them.

The couple have also designed and built over 500 winter-insulated and bomb-resistant houses to gift the elderly, the physically disabled, and other vulnerable groups, so they have a place to stay until the war ends.

They admitted that there were many nights when they could not sleep, as they had to be prepared to run to underground bunkers at any moment.

In moments of chaos and uncertainty, their faith is what keeps them grounded and gives them the strength to persevere.

Every day, they would make time to pray and remind themselves of their purpose.

Some initially questioned how much difference they could make

Lam admitted that initially, there would be times when they questioned how much impact or difference they could make.

Those they were trying to help initially shared the same thoughts.

"When I was in Ukraine, some initially said, 'You're from a small country, and you're Asian. You're from so far away, what can you do? '"

"They realise now it's not about how small or big your country is, and they say we have big hearts," said Lam.

The two were even given Ukrainian names — Lam was named Jana, meaning "God is gracious".

"Because they feel that God has sent me to them," she explained. "Because at that time, they were desperately in need of help, and I turned up and solved a lot of their problems and helped many people."

Taslim was named Rudik — a play on his English first name.

To the couple, being given Ukrainian names by the community was a gesture that showed they had been taken into the community as family.

The two were even granted residential status by the Ukrainian government in 2022, allowing them to continue their humanitarian work with greater ease.

"To that one person in need, that one desperate person, you are a lifeline. To that one person, what you have done means the whole world to them," Lam said.

Why stay?

The couple said they stayed on in Ukraine because they are "compelled by love".

"Because here, we are seeing lives — and even a nation — being transformed," Lam said. "Thousands of people — orphans, widows, and those left disabled or abandoned by war have received not just homes and aid, but also hope to keep moving forward."

They admitted that there are moments when they would miss their family back in Singapore, as well as the comfort and safety the country provides them.

However, they would not have done things differently.

"As much as we miss our home and family, we are also aware that such a divine opportunity was there for us to make such a difference to many people," Lam said, noting that thousands of lives were saved and rescued since they began taking on this mission.

"It's about the people — young and old, vulnerable and marginalised people... these are the people we have a heart for," she said, adding that they are not politicians nor politically aligned with any nation.

Taslim told Mothership:

"We are not reckless and we are not people who are courageous, but love compels us. Love makes us want to do the things that we do, to help the people in need. For those who cannot help themselves, love is the main source of motivation for us."

"Many times, we might watch the news and become immune to (conflicts). But I would like to tell people that the pain and suffering that people are going through is real... I wish that people would not get immune (to the suffering) and that people's hearts continue to remain tender and compassionate," said Lam.

"Because that's what human beings are supposed to be. Life is much more than just about yourself in your own world."

"In a very fast-moving world where things just change all the time, it's very easy for us to be inundated with the cares... or the worries of this world, but I always believe in the power of one. That one person can be the solution to somebody else's problem," Taslim remarked.

"If all of us were to keep our hearts tender and not to be apathetic to the problems that are going on around us collectively, we really can become a better society."

All photos courtesy of Lam Baoyan and Rudy Taslim