Setting Mira Up for Success

DISCLAIMER: I’m fundraising on behalf of Mira, a young woman who has already arrived in Canada as an asylum seeker. She’s now preparing to begin her college studies in Kitchener, Ontario — and this fundraiser is solely to help her settle and succeed in her first semester here in Canada.

I am raising $2,500 to support Mira, a resilient young woman who recently arrived in Canada as an asylum seeker and is about to begin her college studies in Waterloo Region, Ontario. This fundraiser is solely to help cover her basic settlement and living costs during her first semester, a critical moment in her journey.

What the funds will cover:

• Moving costs from Toronto to Waterloo region

• Basic room and kitchen essentials (bedding, cookware, small furnishings)

• Groceries, a bus pass, and daily essentials

• A gap in living expenses not covered by OSAP for the first 3 months

Mira will receive OSAP, which covers her tuition and room rent only. But she still faces a serious shortfall in day-to-day living costs. Without support, she’ll be starting school next week (May 5) while struggling to meet her most basic needs.

A little background about Mira:

I’ve come to know Mira through community spaces over the past year. From the beginning, Mira stood out. She’s wise, articulate, and deeply driven. She carries herself with a quiet strength and clear sense of purpose. Only later did I learn what she’s overcome to be here.

Before everything changed, Mira had built a quiet, stable life. She worked as an educator, spent her spare time secretly learning piano and photography, and was living like any other young woman hopeful to build a future on her own terms. https://youtu.be/VLJKyX_yv7I

Her life changed when she was forced into a marriage with a cousin. A common result of patriarchal control and cousin marriage traditions in her community, where honor-based violence and killing is still a threat.

Realizing she had no future under these conditions, Mira carefully planned her escape. Terrified but determined, she fled her home and arrived alone in Canada, seeking safety and the chance to live life on her own terms.

Since arriving, Mira has worked tirelessly to rebuild from scratch. She continues to support and mentor others and is now taking the next brave step by enrolling in a full-time college program with the goal of becoming a certified healthcare practitioner, a career that reflects her deep desire to help others and contribute meaningfully to society.

Why Now?

I’ve spent years working alongside refugees and asylum seekers, and I wouldn’t be fundraising unless I knew there was a real gap. For context, a single person on Ontario Works receives just $733/month, far below what’s needed to live with stability.

Mira has already done the hard part. She got here. She got into school. She’s ready.

Now she just needs a bit of help to get through this transition.

As an educator and aspiring healthcare professional, she has so much to offer.

If you’re able to contribute or share, thank you. You’ll be helping someone truly exceptional move forward with dignity, purpose, and a real chance at success.