Voor Denis, de Oekraïense scholier die een jaar bij ons woonde, zamelen we geld in om hem en zijn familie een kickstart te geven in Toronto.
Vanwege de levensbedreigende racketaanslagen in Zaporizhzhia liet het Trhetsynska gezin huis en haard achter om hun zoons een nieuwe toekomst te geven in Canada. Met slechts 23 kg aan bagage bouwen ze nu een nieuw bestaan op. Het ontbreekt hen aan nagenoeg al hun spullen. Wij vragen jou om een ruimhartige bijdrage. Groot, klein, alles is welkom. Dank je wel!
Hieronder lees je hun verhaal.
Ukrainian boy living in Rotterdam
One month after the Ukrainian war my family has welcomed a 16 year old boy, Denis, into our home in Rotterdam. He has lived with us for 10 months, during that time he went to the nearby international school and worked at an IT company for several months. His mom and younger brother stayed at a refugee shelter in Alphen a/d Rijn. The father remained in Zaporizhzhia.
Staying in Holland or not
As the war progressed, and as it became clear it was not to end soon, the developed a plan to live abroad in a safe and peaceful manner. They seriously considered settling in Holland, but with the high prices and shortage of homes, the Trhetsynska’s would not be able to become home owners, as they are in Zaporizhzhia.
Therefore, they looked at Canada. It’s an English speaking country, and welcoming immigrants. Last November they applied for visa and obtained them.
Surprise on New Years’ Eve
On New Year’s Eve there’s a knock on the door of the shelter home in Alphen aan de Rijn. The father, Dmytro, stands in front of his family. He drove two nights and three days from the east of Ukraine. His wife and two sons are nailed to the ground, and then jumped for joy. They were overwhelmed by surprise and grateful that they were united.
Zaporizhzhia
At the beginning of January, the Trhetsynska family returns to their home town, Zaporizhzhia. It’s a risky journey because of the many road blocks and a complete darkness, when driving at night. Upon arriving home, there is the initial joy of seeing friends and family, but then there’s the confrontation with the poverty on the streets. People struggle to get by, because of the high prices, the cold and lack of electricity. At night, there’s the shelling. The family seeks shelter in the bathroom of their apartment (on the 8th floor), covering their ears against the brutal noise of the bombs which are falling awfully close to their house.
Getting ready for Toronto
On one of those inhumane nights, they decide not wanting to stay any longer. With their savings and with a loan they buy four tickets to Canada. They will travel to Poland and leave for Toronto from Krakow airport.
The Trhetsynska’s have used these last couple of weeks to say goodbye to their parents, other relatives, and friends. They sort out their belongings, decide what to take and what to leave, wrap up their work and lock up their apartment.
Toronto
Crossing the border is going to be one of the big challenges of the journey to Toronto. There are a number of uncertainties, f.i. new rules, or rules nobody knows about.
If the Trhetsynska’s make it to Toronto, they can stay two weeks in a Red Cross shelter, after that, they need to find housing on their own. They have one Ukrainian friend, who has offered a job in construction for Dmytro, but cannot provide them housing.
To help the Trhetsynska’s get started with an apartment and the basics, such as beds, mattresses, a kitchen table, cutlery and so on, we started this fundraising. We kindly ask you for a contribution.
We thank you wholeheartedly,
Juliette & Matijn Wijn
FAQ
Where is Zaporizhzhia located?
It lies in the Zaporizhska region (Eastern Ukraine), seventy-five percent of it is occupied by Russian soldiers. Currently the Russian army is 32 kilometers away from the city.
Why is Zaporizhzhia a target for the Russians?
Zaporizhzhia is one of the biggest cities in Ukraine and is the base for Europe's largest nuclear power plant. It provides electricity to Ukraine and several European countries. Its location on the Dnipro River makes it a critical target for Russian forces, who have been controlling the plant since March 2022.
How will the Trhetsynska’s make a living in Toronto?
Dmytro, an engineer by trade, can start working at the construction company of his Ukrainian friend. Denys has found work programming on line for a company in California.
Why is the father not in the army?
Dmytro has a heart problem and has been declared unfit for the army.
Why are there no pictures of the father?
This is for safety reasons.
Who is who
Ievgeniia Trhetsynska, 43 years old
Ievgeniia graduated went to university and studied at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, and majored in German and English. In Zaporizhzhia she’s self-employed, and teaches these languages to companies.
Denis Trhetsynska, 17 years old
Denis has been participated in national mathematics competitions, since he was twelve. Around that same age he programed his first website.
While in Holland, he took a programming course at Princeton and started working for Notive (an innovative company for digital solutions) during the summer break. In September he decided not to go back to the international school, but to work fulltime as a front- & back-end developer. At night, he followed online lessons with his teachers in Zaporizhzhia. He will be graduating high school this spring. Denys speaks fluent English.
Illia Trhetsynska 11 years old
Illia is in elementary school and likes to play basketball with his friends, but when they are not around he plays video games.
29-09-2023 12:31
Dear Friends,
Since you have supported the Trhetsynska family, I’m happy to share the latest news from Toronto.
Over the last half year I have been in touch with Denys’ mother, Ievgeniia. She sends me updates about their lives in their new home, in their new country. These are some of the messages:
And we have bought a 🚗))) Toyota Camry 2013, from an acquaintance of Dima. Thank you and the group very much for the money❤ Now it is much easier for us.
The weather in summer here is good, it doesn't rain often. And what I like is that it's not too hot. The nature here is amazing. Very beautiful parks, and we live right next to a wonderful park. I walk there every evening.
Denys works as always a lot, but at the same time he goes to Muay Thai training. Illia goes to school and starts to really speak English . On weekends we take him to the park and we have a pass for the amusement park, which the boys go to together. I take that time, to be by myself, and do whatever I’m pleased doing.
Juliette, I now understand that the Netherlands and Europe in general are wonderful places where you can wait for the end of the war. Closer to home, closer to your country. I read the news every day, I talk to my relatives in Ukraine every day. It hurts a lot and I understand that I am a person who is very attached to my family, to my city, to my home.
I look forward to the end of the war with all my heart and soul. I want to be at home so much.
The latest news I received last weekend. Iegeniia called to say that Denys got accepted at the University of London at which he’s enrolled as an online student. Next time more about that.
Kind regards,
Juliette
15-04-2023 14:28
News from Toronto; a leter from Ievgeniia
Dear Friends,
This is the start of another phase in our lives. If someone had told me before the start of the war that I would be with my family in Canada, I probably would not have believed it. But life decreed so and we are now in Canada, in the city of Toronto.
Canada is a wonderful country, with incredibly kind and open people. Once here, we did not feel like strangers, as people are ready to support us, give advice, and lend a helping hand. As soon as we arrived, the Kuis volunteer company was waiting for us at the airport. They provided us with a hotel room for two weeks free of charge (for which we are very grateful to them), so that we could relax and do all the paperwork. It took just two weeks to complete all the paperwork.
The first days were certainly not easy, as we arrived from spring weather to winter weather, with its snow, frost, and strong winds. There was also a big time difference. From the first days, we realized that Toronto is a city where it is very difficult to get around without a car. The city is huge and sometimes it takes an hour and a half to get from one instance to another, with transfers of three buses.
These days we were looking for an apartment. This turned out to be one of the most difficult questions. We just arrived and of course, we did not have all the necessary documents that are needed for a long-term lease. On one of the days of searching, we managed to find an apartment, a small one, but we were very happy since our stay at the hotel ended in a few days. But when we were about to leave the hotel, they called us and said that we could not move into the apartment, as it was too small for our family. This was another test for us. But thanks a lot to the brother of one of our friends in the Netherlands. He found and paid for a basement for us for a month and a half, so that we could calmly arrange our lives and search for an apartment.
And we succeeded. We finally found an apartment in a wonderful area, next to a beautiful park, and what is most important for us is that a Ukrainian school and a Ukrainian church are a fifteen-minute walk away. The apartment is empty and unfurnished. Now we will be engaged in the arrangement and furnishing of the apartment. You will need to buy a lot of things, from spoons to beds. I really want to create comfort in a new apartment, we understand that we are not at home and it is very difficult for us morally, but maybe the comfort we created will give us a little peace of mind. I really want to be at home in Zaporizhzhia. We hope. that the war will end soon and we will return home, but while we are here we must try to fix our lives.
Our friends help us get used to this city and not feel lonely. This is a wonderful family from Zaporizhzhia, who has been living in Canada for 10 years. We are grateful for their support. And recently we were at our friend's birthday party, where we met other families from Ukraine who have been living in Toronto for several years. Our circle of acquaintances is expanding, which we are very happy about.
I am engaged in the assessment of my diplomas and job search. I hope I get it right soon.) In the meantime, I am a support for my family, there are many different issues that I have to solve.
Being here far from home, we are grateful for the support of each of you. We now have the opportunity to purchase furniture and everything you need for the apartment. Also, we need to pass a driving test here to get a license and buy a car, because without it it's difficult here. But it's all gradual. Thank you!
Love Ievgeniia