Manfred Hin watched Russia invade Ukraine from the safety of his north Queensland living room, but the scenes of devastation he saw on television hit too close to home.
Raised in post-World War II Germany, the 66-year-old knows firsthand how long the horrors of war can linger.
"When the news came that war broke out, I was immediately thrown back in time," the Townsville resident says.
"I remember as a child listening to the horrific stories …and the whole world said 'never again', but here we are again."
Nearly one year after Russia began its deadly invasion, Mr Hin decided to travel to Ukraine where he hopes his four-decade career as a builder will help rebuild the cities destroyed by fighting.
"I can't fight because I'm a pacifist by nature, but I can certainly help people rebuild and fix their homes," he says.
"When I saw the pictures — specifically of the elderly people not able to escape the conflict zone — sitting in front of their destroyed houses, it moved me very much."
One-way ticket to Ukraine
Mr Hin booked a one-way ticket to Europe from his home in Townsville, where he'll leave behind his wife "until at least the end of the year".
He has personally funded the journey and the purchase of tools and materials in Germany, which he will transport to Ukraine's capital Kyiv where his endeavour will begin.
A small van with a mattress will double as his accommodation on the ground, where mid-winter temperatures average minus 10 degrees Celsius.
"If I can only help one person with my means and abilities, I'm happy with that," he says.
Mr Hin has joined forces with a volunteer organisation backed by the Ukrainian government, Dobrobat, which will link him with other volunteers hoping to help.
"I have 40-plus years of experience as a builder, and the other volunteers will have different backgrounds … I'll just train them up a little bit with how to use the saws without cutting off their fingers," he says.
"I want to be up on the roofs, fixing windows and roofs, because I'm a 'doer'."
Training others to re-build
It won't be the first time Mr Hin will be in the middle of a disaster aftermath; he rebuilt homes in the wake of last year's south-east Queensland floods and Townsville's monsoonal flood in 2019.
But he expects rebuilding Ukraine to be more difficult and more expensive.
"There will be never enough tools and never enough materials," he says.
"And there are the rocket attacks the Russians are doing every day."
Getting a visa to travel to Ukraine, an active war zone, is difficult because of the Australian government's ‘do not travel' advice.
But Mr Hin has acquired a special visa that allows him to travel to de-occupied zones for humanitarian help — one of only a few Australians with permission.
"I'm just doing what I am doing on my own, and we'll see how it grows," he says.
