Carleton students raise funds for Ukrainians amid Russia’s invasion
Photo and words by Spencer Colby for the Charlatan Newspaper
“It’s very, very hard to watch and it’s very relevant. Ukrainians are just like Lithuanians, we wanted the same, we got it. They supported us when we faced the same things and it’s our turn now,” Ottawa resident Elena Basset said.
Basset, who has lived in Canada for 20 years but is originally from Lithuania, beared witness to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the major reforms of perestroika that saw the breaking up of the then-Communist Party.
“I stood in front of Russian tanks when they attacked our first democratically elected parliament,” Basset said, referring to the Soviet Union’s 1990 invasion of Lithuania.
President of Carleton Ukrainian Students’ Club Sophie Shields is seen in a portrait at the Ukrainian Youth Association on Saturday, Mar. 26, 2022 in Ottawa, Ont. “Since I’ve been small, I’ve spoken Ukrainian, gone to Ukrainian school, done Ukrainian dance, done everything that I could to keep the tradition and culture alive.” explained Shields.
Basset is one of dozens of donors who purchased do-it-yourself perogie kits created by Carleton’s Ukrainian Students’ Club. The kits, made by a handful of club members and volunteers throughout March 26, are part of an effort to raise money for the Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal, a fund run by the Canada-Ukraine Foundation and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.
“[The invasion is] awful, it’s terrible, it’s heartbreaking, it’s not unexpected,” said Sophie Shields, president of Carleton’s Ukrainian Students’ Club.
Although the club hosts perogie making events each year, this year’s event and the club’s structure were different. “Our role has really shifted from being a culture club, which was there to have fun, have a community, engage in culture traditions and events, to advocating for the university to provide support for students,” Shields said.
Arianna Fuke, a third-year global and international studies student, said despite not having family in Ukraine, she finds the ongoing war frightening.
“It hurts to see people that you feel a certain bond with really struggling, so I think we’re all just trying to do any little piece we can to make another Ukrainian’s life a little bit easier right now,” Fuke said.
Although Carleton has released an online list of resources, Shields said the support is lacking compared to other universities.
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