Defying Adversity

Eliza's Journey to Reclaim Her Dreams

On March 14th, I received an email from an old friend in Berlin, informing me that his family was hosting a 22-year-old Ukrainian named Eliza from Kharkiv. Eliza's life had taken a drastic turn on February 23, the day before the war erupted. Just after completing her law studies, she embarked on a train journey to Kyiv for an internship at the Ukrainian parliament. Little did she know that the next day would mark the beginning of a devastating conflict. Putin's aggression shattered her plans of working with Ukrainian politicians and snatched away her dream of studying International Law in the Netherlands. Although she had been conditionally accepted into Utrecht or Leiden, the grant money meant for her education had been redirected to support the urgent needs of the war.

Trapped between the chaos, Eliza's mother sought refuge in a basement in Kharkiv. Unable to return home or stay in Kyiv, Eliza found herself in Rzeszow, Poland, surviving on floors and trains, burdened by the weight of a shattered future. Amidst the shocked crowds, an elderly Polish man approached her, offering a small act of kindness. With a warm smile, he handed her an envelope containing 200 Euros. Without much hesitation, Eliza used the money to purchase a train ticket to Berlin, where my friend's son, whom she had met during her involvement in the Maidan protests, awaited her at the train station. As I read my friend's email, I couldn't help but draw parallels between Eliza's plight and the impending graduation of my own son, who was also 22 at the time.

Eliza had been robbed of her internship, her city had been bombarded, and she was separated from her mother by cruel circumstances. In the face of these injustices inflicted by Putin, I wondered if we could defy him in a small way and help Eliza reclaim her dream. Realizing that my neighbor was Dutch and that I knew another young Dutch woman, both of similar ages to Eliza, I saw an opportunity to assist. I suggested a Zoom meeting with Eliza, and she agreed. Through the screen, I gazed into her eyes, filled with sadness yet radiating beauty. She struggled to hold back tears as she shared her story, and I listened intently, reminded once again of my own son at the same stage in life. The more we conversed, the more convinced I became that there was a purpose behind our meeting and that we could find a way to help her realize her dream. I asked her to trust me, to allow herself to regain hope that Putin's reach did not extend far enough to extinguish her aspirations. With that determination, I reached out to my Dutch friends, and the following week, we all gathered on Zoom with Eliza.

Together, we created lists, shared responsibilities, and assigned tasks. It took us over two months of dedicated effort, holding weekly meetings to strategize. With each passing week, Eliza's hope grew stronger, and we felt closer to achieving our goal. We initiated a GoFundMe campaign on Facebook, sharing Eliza's story with family and friends. The response was overwhelmingly generous, particularly from the mother of my dearest student, who graciously became Eliza's patron. Not only did she cover the remaining essential portion of Eliza's tuition, but she also provided extra funds for clothing and books. With the collective support, we were able to send Eliza to the Netherlands to personally register for her studies. During her visit, a Dutch family hosted her, taking her to both Utrecht and Leiden so she could experience both campuses. I reminded her that she had the freedom to choose where she truly wanted to study. Eliza ultimately decided on Leiden University.