By: Amir Khan, Communications Assistant
“Shots were heard.”
“We could not believe it.”
“It didn’t seem real to us.”
Nataliia recounts the opening hours of the invasion on Feb. 24, 2022 as Russian forces entered Ukraine. She was awoken from her sleep in her family’s apartment in Kharkiv, around 40 kilometers from the Russian border.
Local citizens started to pack up their belongings and leave the city, but Nataliia says she and her husband decided to stay. As a building manager of her apartment block, she felt responsible for the well-being of the people living in her complex. Nataliia remembers people moving into the basement, though she says it wasn’t suited for living, but residents were left with little to no option as the Ukrainian winter set in.
“People started to panic and we had to find a safe place for everyone. More and more people started coming down to the basement with children, dogs, cats, blankets, food, water and people from other houses.”
From the safety of the basement, Nataliia hoped for a swift, diplomatic end to the fighting; constantly scrolling on her phone for the news that would confirm her hope, but it never arrived.
It wasn’t long before Russian troops entered the city, with heavy fighting in the streets as Ukrainian forces worked to repel the Russian advance. At the same time, the need for groceries and amenities was growing, leaving her to scour the city with her friends in search of food and everyday essentials, which were increasingly hard to come by.
“The city was in chaos. Nothing was working, sometimes shops would open and [locals] would buy up everything at once.”
A few days into the invasion, Nataliia found there was a need for blood. Given that she has a rare blood type, she and her friends decided to make the trek partly by car and by foot to donate.
“When we returned [to the car], the shelling started.”
“We came under fire. I didn’t know that I could run so fast. We got in the car, and I drove very fast.”
“At one point [a friend] shouted to me – ‘look, the dairy shop was open and so is the vegetable shop!’. I stopped the car, and we ran to the shop,” Nataliia says as she remembers the moment amidst the shelling.
She struggles to express how she felt in that moment. Nataliia was afraid, but for her, fear came second to the task of helping those in need, and she remained focused on looking ahead — something she continues to maintain.
As the fighting intensified through the Spring of 2022, Nataliia and her two children left Ukraine, eventually joining family friends in Mexico before continuing to Canada. Her husband stayed behind to continue helping. Nataliia hopes to reunite with him in Vancouver in the near future.
Upon arriving in Canada with the help of MOSAIC’s Ukraine2Canada initiative, Nataliia says she was amazed by the support she received when in Vancouver, with one Canadian family opening their home to her and her children while she searched for housing and employment.
MOSAIC takes a leading role in helping Ukrainian temporary residents gain access to a host of services – including employment, housing and providing English lessons and more. Since the invasion began, the initiative has so far helped nearly 2,400 Ukrainians temporarily resettle across Canada.
Nataliia connected with an Employment Resources Advisor at a WorkBC office managed by MOSAIC. There, she was provided with an interpreter and employment assistance, leaving her confident in her next job search. Her previous role and experience in Ukraine as an accountant before the war helped her secure an accounting role in Vancouver.
Nataliia’s first Christmas in Canada was memorable as her new work colleagues showed their support and organized a Ukrainian Orthodox Christmas celebration on January 7.
“They ordered Ukrainian food from a Ukrainian restaurant, brought everything to the office and we celebrated Ukrainian Christmas. I was very, very pleased.
“Then they packed everything, and I brought a lot of delicious things home for the children – How can I not love [my work colleagues]?”
Though the shelling and bullets have stopped, for Nataliia, the war continues from Canada as she continues to gather funds to donate supplies for her neighbours who currently live on the front line.
To help MOSAIC’s Ukraine support program, donate now: DONATE NOW | MOSAIC (mosaicbc.org)
To get help if you are a displaced Ukrainian, email: Ukraine.support@mosaicbc.org
