Mariia and Yuliia, Ukraine to Halifax

Mariia and Yuliia Lytvynchuk are 18-year-old Ukrainian twins who are fleeing the suffering and devastation of the war in Ukraine.

Mariia (on the left) is a talented creative writer with a novel and several stories to her credit.

Yuliia (on the right) is an accomplished visual artist with an extensive portfolio of artwork.

Right now, this young writer and this young artist need our help.

Mariia and Yuliia have secured Canadian-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) visas to come to Halifax to study for the next three years. Both have been accepted into Dalhousie's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. They have received some support from scholarships and bursaries, but it is not nearly enough to cover the costs of living. On a CUAET visa, Mariia and Yuliia are ineligible for student loans.

For Mariia and Yuliia's first year, tuition and residence costs will total $37,278.42 for both girls; for all four years of their undergraduate degrees, about $150,000. We are beginning by trying to secure funding for their first couple of years.

A generous partner has offered to match any of the funds raised during this campaign to a maximum of $40,000. If we raise $40,000 with this campaign, the donor will add $40,000 for a total of $80,000.

We have secured temporary housing for their arrival. However, the twins will need significant financial support for travel, residence or rent, food, tuition, books, art supplies, clothing for interviews and work, and necessities lost in Kyiv when they fled their home in April.

A Canadian education will give them the tools to return and rebuild a strong and free Ukraine.

In Mariia's own words: “There's nothing sadder than leaving your home, your streets to the sound of shelling, seeing everything you love crumble before your eyes, and running into the unknown, not knowing what awaits next, but we have not lost hope.”

We realize that many people are suffering and displaced all over the world right now. There are many worthy places to give our time, effort, and money. Mariia and Yuliia's story is, unfortunately, common. However, in the face of many global tragedies, here are two young women poised to begin a life of curiosity, creativity, learning, and beauty. Here is a single mother who would do anything for her daughters. The balance of these three specific lives can shift for the better with our generosity and care.

We hope you'll give any amount, however small, you might be able to share. And please share our fundraiser with friends and colleagues! Thank you.