Hi, my name is Katya Khatsanovska. 


I was born and raised in Ukraine. I came to Canada, when I turned 17, as an international student to study marketing and business commerce at a Canadian business school. 


However, many of my friends are still in Ukraine. Some of them do not want to leave because their dads/husbands/brothers are protecting our country on the front line. And some of them cannot simply leave because of the bombs and bullets attacking their neighborhoods. Thankfully, my relatives were able to get evacuated. But all these people need help to survive through this devastating time.


At 11 PM on Wed Feb 23, I was getting ready for bed. Then suddenly, my cousin texted me "Katya, they are bombing along the border from Kyiv to Zhytomyr. My mom just woke up from bombs at 5 AM. They are packing and leaving the city." For 15 minutes, I stared at my phone screen, and I could not believe this was real. Can the war start just like this..in the middle of Europe in the 21st century? 


The next day I woke up, and I was hoping it was all just a dream. I checked my phone again: The internet was exploding from the news. Since then, I start every morning by reading the news: "Russian troops dropped several bombs on a children's hospital and Mariupol. The whole building was destroyed to the ground" or "Direct strike at the maternity hospital. People, children are under the wreckage". Reading these headlines became a new normal of my life routines, and millions of Ukrainians were affected by this tragedy. 


My aunt who lost my uncle last year ran away with my little cousin who is just 12. They left Kyiv a few days ago with no additional clothes or things. They had to run away to save their lives from explosions. Right now, they are in a refugee camp in Poland. Because more than 2 million refugees have fled Ukraine in the past 7 days, the conditions in refugee camps are really difficult. Right now, my aunt and my cousin are staying in a tiny room with 7 more people.


The reality is Ukraine is still a predominantly lower-income country with many just barely making ends meet during peaceful times. They would never ask for help on their own, and I want to send them any support we can. The monthly average salary in Ukraine is $400. My aunt and my little cousin do not have any financial means to support themselves at this moment as they had to flee their home. 


I was able to find a place for them in Slovenia through a friend. However, we still need additional resources to help them settle down in a new country. I also have a friend who is hosting 30 + families in a bomb shelter now in Kyiv with kids, and they are in desperate need of food and medicine.  

 

I am fundraising these funds to support my relatives and friends affected by the disaster in Ukraine. All the money will go directly to people I know. Therefore, any help, even the smallest amount, will be greatly appreciated. 



The collected money will be used to support my cousin and aunt and help them settle down in Slovenia. We need some additional resources to secure  their life there for the next 3 months. 


The rest of the funds will be used to purchase goods and medicine for people in Ukraine. All photos with purchased goods will be shared on this page. 


I will be using this page to also post updates about my relatives and friends. 


Thank you.