Sponsorship provides ‘another chance at life’

Virginian sponsors help Ukrainian couple find safety

Their city was nearly completely destroyed. Tetiana and Serhii Safiulina lived in Izyum near the Russian border, and they had hoped to endure Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in their own home. But early in the war, constant destruction and bombings shattered their dream to stay.

“The area we were in was bombed heavily,” Tetiana shared. “On top of not having electricity or running water, it was very hard to handle.”

The couple, along with their daughter who was just starting college, and their dog, Uma, decided to relocate. They drove out of Izyum under heavy Russian artillery fire from across the river, and their car was one of the last to make it out of the city.

Once in Dnipro, a city 68 miles away from the front lines, the family struggled to survive. They could not work, and while they hoped they could return to their home, they soon realized that was likely not possible. Tetiana had friends in Poland who offered to help, and after spending several more difficult months in Ukraine, they packed what they had and left.

They lived in Poland for nearly two years, and while there, Tetiana learned about the Uniting for Ukraine program. Having always dreamt of building a life in the United States, she was immediately intrigued.

In September 2023, Tetiana discovered Welcome Connect and quickly registered. But after creating her profile, she questioned whether the platform and sponsorship would actually work, and soon forgot about her account for several months. Just after New Years 2024, she had a dream about sponsorship that prompted her to log into her account. That is when she found several messages from sponsors, including Prithvi Mulchandani.

Prithvi knows firsthand what it’s like to be a newcomer in the United States, having immigrated from India in 1990. It was his lived experience that drove him to sponsorship.

“I have some personal experience in how challenging it can be to acclimate to the U.S.,” he shared.

In January 2024, Prithvi sent an email to his network asking if people were interested in supporting him as a sponsor.

“Each family was taking care of part of the process. Somebody took care of the documents. Somebody raised money. A doctor helps with all the medical questions. Whenever I have questions, I have somebody I can address the question to. Everything works so flawlessly,” Tetiana said.

The sponsorship group used the Buy Nothing Project as a resource for supplies to set up the couple’s home. This community-based platform allows people to donate goods and services that can be shared and picked up locally for free.

“People have just been so generous… It’s literally saved us thousands of dollars helping furnish their apartment,” Prithvi said.

The group also received a matching grant through the Welcome.US partnership with GoFundMe.org. On their own, the group quickly raised $6,000, and through this grant, received an additional $2,000 to support the newcomer family during their time in the U.S.

Prithvi shared that he learned about the matching grant program through a sponsor information session hosted by Welcome.US, and that the application process was straightforward. Between the donations from the Buy Nothing Project, a kind condo owner who waived first and last month’s rent along with the security deposit, and the money from the matching grant, the newcomers started off on stable financial ground.

In April 2024, Tetiana, Serhii, and their Daschund Uma arrived in the U.S., joining Prithvi and the sponsor group in Virginia. Their daughter decided to stay behind in Ukraine to be with her boyfriend. Tetiana added that her biggest hope is that her daughter will come to join her and her husband.

“She's really young, and she has so many opportunities here,” she said.

Almost immediately, Tetiana, who has a degreee in psychology and who has work experience in marketing, found a job working for a medical clinic. Serhii, who is a carpenter, has found temporary work and is searching for more stable employment.

“I love how every time we see them, we get together for lunch on a weekend, or we drop something off at their place… you can kind of see them relax,” Prithvi said.

For now, Tetiana is focused on becoming more independent and contributing to her community. The couple feels empowered to forge ahead and make a life for themselves in their new country.

“It's a very important mission because a sponsor gives a person another chance at life,” Tetiana said. “It's so important that people are willing to help and willing to help for free. Especially in a time like this, to be able to find this kind of help for free is just unbelievable. I am very thankful for that.”