An Ottawa-based organization is leading a global coalition to help to evacuate and re-home hundreds of Black students and families from war-torn Ukraine, some with the hope of coming to Canada.
More than 1,200 students have been able to find safety through the help of multiple international groups named The Black Coalition, led by Equal Chance in Ottawa, which helps provide access to opportunities for vulnerable members of the Black community, but there are many more people who are have difficulties getting out.
“A young woman who was attempting to cross the border between Romania and Ukraine and was having a lot of difficulties,” says Gwen Madiba, Equal Chance president. “She was facing racism and she was crossing with other Black students. The officer allegedly told them Black people have to go to the back, to which he responded we’ve been at the front for the past eight hours and we’re not moving back.”
Madiba was told that one of the students suffered injuries from the officer. It’s why she is in Budapest now, helping other students and families with financial support to provide transportation, shelter, mental health support and relocation.
“We started sending students back to their country, those who wanted to go back home, we started helping with the coordination of that on March 3. We coordinated the return of 24 students to South Africa and Swaziland,” she says. “And the next day, about 80 students to Nigeria and we continue to do that as well but there are many students requesting to come to Canada. It’s like a dream for them it gives them a lot of hope.”
Ukraine is home to thousands of students from African nations seeking post-secondary education at more affordable costs than in North America.
“But some these families and individuals come from war-torn countries, for example the Democratic Republic of Congo. They cannot go back to their country, they are permanent residents of Ukraine,” says Madiba. “They cannot live in Kherson, which is being bombed day and night by the Russian army; they need to be able to be given equal access to safety. We’ve been really advocating for that. We’ve been asking Canada to please give these people who do not have a safe country to go back to an equal access and equal right to safety.”
Madiba says some families will be coming to Canada as early as next week and she remains hopeful that students will be given a similar opportunity in order to pursue their education.
“No one deserves this situation, not the white Ukrainians, the Black Ukrainians, the permanent residents,” says Madiba. “These are brilliant young people. I hope that they will be able to come home to contribute to our society, as well be welcomed to our society to find a new home and to find safety, and that would be the same as well for the families and many children that we have met and have hugged over the past weeks.”
The coalition continues to raise money through their GoFundMe campaign.
