Mom and daughter flee Ukraine to settle in Canada

Hi, My name is Pia.

 

I am raising funds for our friend and colleague Svitlana Franchuk who is opening her home to her sister and niece to provide them a safe home after fleeing the war in Ukraine.

 

Svitlana's sister Olena, and her daughter Sofiia, fled from Ukraine on March 28, 2022, to Poland, as their home was no longer safe. The Russian invasion, with bombing/sirens, lead to the difficult decision to leave everything behind. Olena and Sofiia fled their home, leaving the grandparents behind as they were not able to leave.  They left Ukraine with only a backpack. The trains were full, and people did not take luggage in order to make room for others. They took with them only pajamas and one pair of spare clothing.

 

While Olena had a VISA to come to Canada, Sofiia needed one, and she finally received this May 13th.  They are now coming to  Canada under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel.   The waiting period has been so hard on Svitlana and her family, so finally knowing that Olena and Sofiia are scheduled to arrive in Canada soon is such great news.

 

Sofiia will turn 16 on May 31, 2022 and Svitlana is so glad that she will be able to celebrate this special birthday together with her in Canada. Currently, they have registered for a charter flight to Winnipeg organized by the Canadian Government, but it is not yet known if they will get a seat on that flight. They should receive an email within 72 hours once a seat is confirmed.

 

During their stay in Poland, Sofiia was able to study in school remotely. She was very busy with online lessons and doing her home work. She is a very good and responsible student. She is smart and a very sweet girl. She got “As” on all subjects. Svitlana and Vlad are so proud of her. She loves drawing, reading and did dancing in Ukraine. The dancing teacher did Zoom classes. So, she kept practicing while in Poland. Her classmates have all fled Ukraine and are in different countries throughout Europe.

 

During her stay in Poland, Oleana, together with other Ukrainians helped to arrange and send supplies such as clothing , boots, sleeping bags and other items to the Ukraine defenders. Prior to that Olena was involved in working for a Medical University in an administrative position.  Olena's husband, Andrij, is fighting back in Ukraine. He and many of his friends joined the Territorial Defense squad from the first day of the war.

We are hoping to support Svitlana in supporting her sister and niece with clothing, food, transport and getting back on their feet and integrating with the new community they will be part of.   In addition, money raised will also help the Territorial Defense Squad with items such as sleeping bags, foam mats etc.  Thank you for your support.