From Switzerland to Ukraine: François Luffe Joins the East SOS Reconstruction Mission
Born in Normandy, France, François has lived in cities across his home country, including Rouen, Strasbourg, and Paris, before spending the last several years in Geneva, Switzerland. He has a background in cognitive science and a master’s degree in sociology. He worked as an administrative officer at a government agency responsible for child protection and safety. In his free time, François enjoys learning foreign languages and practicing CrossFit.
After russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, François felt a calling to help the people of Ukraine.
In March 2022, he and his friends headed to the Polish-Ukrainian border. At the Folkowisko Foundation coordination headquarters, François provided first aid, organized fundraising campaigns, and managed the procurement and delivery of humanitarian aid and medical supplies to field hospitals for refugees and displaced persons.
After returning to Geneva in the summer of 2022, François completed first aid training with the Samaritan Alliance and joined their team of volunteers. Since then, he has served as an emergency responder doing over 700 hours of medical service and completing more than 60 hours of advanced training.
François first learned about the East SOS CF in 2023. By 2024, he had arrived in Ukraine, joined our reconstruction team, and was actively helping to repair homes in Druzhkivka.
“It was during one of our field trips that I met a 90-year-old woman. I was deeply moved, feeling as though her entire life had been ground down by the gears of history with the Second World War, Stalinism, the Soviet era, the collapse of the USSR, and all the turbulent changes that followed. Seeing a person who had lived through so many brutal, inhuman times, and who was now facing war again in her twilight years, was absolutely unacceptable to me,” shared François.
In February 2026, François rejoined the East SOS reconstruction team for his second mission, this time in the city of Izium. At present, he continues to repair homes damaged by russian shelling.
“I don’t have professional experience in construction, but the team is incredibly patient with me. I’m learning as I go and doing my best to help,” he said.
When asked what motivates him the most, François replied:
“You are our close neighbors. We are Europeans, and I cannot just sit by and do nothing when I see what is happening in Ukraine. It would be shameful. I wanted to show that it is not only governments that can help, but ordinary people as well. It’s crucial to show that we’re by your side. You’re not alone. These may be small steps, but I believe in the power of small deeds.”
As a reminder, ahead of Volunteer Day, we shared stories of volunteers from all corners of the world who joined the East SOS Foundation team.
