Help Dasha graduate while her dad defends Ukraine

Hi everyone, I’m fundraising for my dear friend Daria, or Dasha, as we all call her.

“As someone who has experienced war, displacement, lost one home and found another, I understand that this building isn’t just one story, but millions of stories woven into the concrete frame, including mine.”

This is what Dasha said during the final presentation of her master’s degree in Architecture at the London Metropolitan University. Her words stayed with me, just like her story stays with everyone who knows her.

Dasha came to London as a war refugee from Ukraine in 2023. Her father is on the frontline, fighting for her country’s freedom. While war is a news headline for many, for Dasha, it’s the backdrop of her life, one that deeply shaped her studies. Her Master's work focused on refugees, displacement, and the destruction that war brings, not as abstract concepts, but as lived experience.

Dasha completed her degree with outstanding grades, pouring her soul and heart into every project she did. That’s her in the photo, smiling next to her final project for which she won the RIBA Medal, a prestigous british archtecture prize. But now, she's at risk of not receiving her prize and diploma because she doesn’t have the funds to pay the final portion of her tuition. She’s still short £7,000, and only has until the 4th of July to pay, otherwise the RIBA Medal will be taken away.

Imagine having to live in two realities at once. In one, your family is enduring war, and your father’s life is at risk every day. In the other, you’re trying to build a future, hoping that your education can become part of the healing process for yourself, your family, and your country.

Through all of this, Dasha never let hardship dull her drive. She showed up, worked harder than most, and excelled. She’s earned every bit of that degree. And yet, because of one final payment she can’t afford, she may be denied the diploma she’s earned, with many possible repercussions for her future.

That’s why I’m asking for your help.

If enough of us pitch in, we can help Dasha over this final hurdle. Your support won’t just cover a fee. It will recognise everything she’s already overcome and open the door to all the things she’s still fighting for.

If you’ve ever wanted to support someone directly affected by the war in Ukraine, this is a tangible, meaningful way to do it.

Let’s help Dasha cross this bridge.