2 minute read
A Sense of Community
How Fanshawe supported students affected by the Russo‑Ukrainian War.
“When the conflict started, we knew our students needed support,” says Dean of Students Janice Lamoureux.
In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, which was the biggest attack on a European country since the Second World War. By the spring, more than 8.2 million Ukrainians had fled the country.
For more than 100 Fanshawe students from Ukraine and the surrounding areas, it meant they couldn’t receive funds from their home country and didn’t have the same level of access and support from their families and loved ones.
“Thanks to funding from the College, the Fanshawe Student Union (FSU) and an external donor who supports the Dean of Students Bursary program, Fanshawe was able to help students affected by the conflict in a variety of ways,” Janice says. “We are grateful for our external donor and the FSU, who contributed to our financial supports offered.”
The College was able to provide support for those living in residence or off-campus housing, distribute grocery gift cards and connect them with Career Services to assist them with finding part-time work if it was needed. Fanshawe also provided crisis support from Counselling and Accessibility Services for those who were feeling the effects of the conflict.
In these terrible times, Fanshawe was willing to provide the best possible support,
says Zakhar Sirobaba (pictured left), a digital marketing degree student who hails from Lebedyn Ukraine. “Housing was the most critical aspect for me as I had no relatives or friends during my first year in Canada, and having a comfortable room to stay in was the best thing I could ask for.”
Janice remains inspired by the resilience of these students.
“There is a real sense of community that has developed here,” she says. “Many of them have connected with one another and continue to help each other.”
