Franky and Coen bake fries at the Ukrainian border: ‘More intense than I thought’

They are there, the plug is in and the chip fat is heating up. Franky van Hintum from Helmond has installed his chip shop on the border between Poland and Ukraine. His Ukrainian in-laws are detained in Kiev. And so he wanted to go that way to do something. Together with his partner Coen van Oosten he traveled there to bake fries for Ukrainian refugees. “It’s intense, being here does more to me than I thought.”

In two overcrowded vans and an accompanying snack stall, they drove to Poland in about twenty hours. A huge amount of snacks and sweets have gone that way. The fries are delivered in Poland, about a thousand kilos every day.

Along the way, they made a stop in that neighboring country of Ukraine at the fries manufacturer Aviko. He donated five hundred kilos of fries for the first day.

Just over the border at the Ukrainian city of Lviv, thousands of Ukrainians cross the border every day. That’s where Franky installs his car.

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They receive a very warm welcome on arrival. Everyone helps them maneuver their snack stall in the busy square between the other eateries. That does something to Franky. “They cheered us on when we arrived, it brought tears to my eyes. You can tell they’re happy you’re here.”

The stall is located on a large square of a shopping center, near an old supermarket. It’s a mess. People fumble for clothes on the street. Cars come and go with stuff. About a thousand people who have fled are staying in the nearby building.

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When he makes a round about the terrain, he becomes visibly moved by what he sees. “You see thousands of people walking around with their souls under their arms. I just got here, it’s more intense than I thought. Normally you don’t see this live, only on TV.”

One of the main reasons Franky and Coen are here is Franky’s in-laws. He lives in Kiev and cannot leave. Franky couldn’t wait quietly at home.

“I hope they can still come this way, but it doesn’t look like that. I try not to think about it too much because I can’t do anything. This is what we can do: fry fries.”

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