NASHI Story.

In the beginning

On trips to Ukraine in the early 2000s, NASHI’s founders saw young girls being sexually exploited at truck stops. What they witnessed stayed with them.

2004

Around the kitchen table

After reading Victor Malarek’s book The Natashas and hearing him speak in Edmonton, Savelia and Betti came home to Saskatoon asking: what could we do? Around a kitchen table, they, Terri, Eugene & Nancy, and Stan & Pat became NASHI’s founding board. They chose the name NASHI, meaning “OUR” in Ukrainian, because these children needed our help.

October 2004

The Bells of Hope

Our first fundraiser, at Saskatoon’s Odeon Event Centre, launched The Bells of Hope, a Christmas CD made with children in Ukraine. The money helped equip a trade school that began with one donated sewing machine. From then on, NASHI had two goals: change the lives of young people at risk, and educate Canadians about human trafficking.

2005

Telling the truth

Our first major fundraiser, the Lenten Project, welcomed the director of our partner orphanage to Saskatoon. Shaw TV produced a 30-minute program about NASHI that aired for several years, and we launched our first website. A screening of the film Lilya 4-Ever at the Broadway Theatre began our tradition of yearly education events.

2006

National recognition

Savelia and Betti were honoured by Governor General Michaëlle Jean with the Governor General’s  “People of Courage” medal for founding work of NASHI. Volunteers paid their own way to Ukraine to visit the trade school, and what they saw convinced them NASHI needed a safe home of its own: the Maple Leaf Centre. The first Perogy Paradise was held, and NASHI adopted its constitution and bylaws.

2007

Raising the Roof

Victor Malarek gave the keynote at our first conference, Bells of Hope – Reality of Human Trafficking. Community events such as Ukrainian Day in the Park raised awareness and funds for the Raise the Roof campaign, to turn a building into a live-in school and home. Rev. Bohdan Bilas, our partner in Ukraine, came to speak at a fundraiser.

2008

A building of our own

NASHI bought a building and property in Ukraine for the Maple Leaf Centre. Charitable status was registered in Ukraine under Klenovi Lyst. The RCMP’s new human trafficking unit reached out to NASHI, and we were invited to speak in Edmonton and Calgary. This was the year we chose to focus our work on prevention versus treatment.

2009

Breaking ground

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, construction began at the Maple Leaf Centre. Our second volunteer tour joined in, helping with demolition and planting a maple tree at the dedication service.

2010

One Perogy at a Time

With the help of OMNI Television, a full-length documentary about NASHI, was filmed in Ukraine and Saskatchewan. One Perogy at a Time has been broadcast internationally and can be watched on YouTube.

2011

The roof is raised

The Raise the Roof campaign came to a close. Donors’ names, inscribed on wooden maple leaves, were dedicated inside the Maple Leaf Centre and witnessed by our volunteer tour. NASHI also became the Saskatchewan host of Freedom Relay Canada, a national awareness campaign on Human Trafficking. A new campaign is launched, We Are Family.

2012

Reaching young people

We hosted the Youth Unchained forum which brought 1,100 students from across Saskatchewan together for two days to learn about human trafficking. Victor Malarek returned to speak at Hot Chili, Hot Topic, and NASHI began promoting Fair-Trade purchasing, since many everyday products are made with forced and child labour.

2013

Ready to open

Work at the Maple Leaf Centre was completed: interior renovations, landscaping, a garage and a power house. Denise Heppner of Waldheim carried the NASHI flag to Mt. Everest base camp on Freedom Climb 2013, and Savelia was recognized as a finalist in Scotiabank’s Game Changers competition at an October Saskatchewan Roughrider game.

2014

Girls come home

The first girls moved into the Maple Leaf Centre. What began as a conversation around a kitchen table had become a safe home, built by volunteers, members and donors. NASHI marked its 10th anniversary with Perogy Paradise 9, The Ugly Truth Forum, Meet at the Peak  Mount Blackstrap climb, and a gala celebration.

2015

A glorious day

The Maple Leaf Centre officially opened with six girls. For many of them, it was their first experience of family life, and our volunteer tour was there to celebrate. Back in Canada, volunteer work and fundraising continued with Perogy Paradise 10, a second Meet at the Peak climb of Mount Blackstrap, a UCPBA’s golf tournament, and NASHI published a handbook, NASHI’s Solution to Human Trafficking.

2016

Settling in

Director Maria told us the girls had settled in well. They were going to school in the village, with tutoring when they needed it. In Canada, we hosted a concert by Ukrainian superstar Ruslana, who spoke out about trafficking. Awareness events included UCPBA King of Kovbasa, Rotary Club Lobsterfest, Wakaw Lion’s club bingos, Ukrainian Day in the Park and Folkfest.

2017

More girls come home

The number of girls at the Maple Leaf Centre kept growing. Many arrived with a different set of being malnourished, unable to read, or with hearing and vision problems. Perogy Paradise 12 welcomed 450 guests, and we led a human trafficking workshop in Yorkton. Development of One Perogy at a Time, the Sequel was started.

2018

One Perogy at a Time, the Sequel

After sorting through 1,000 videos and 6,000 photos, we premiered One Perogy at a Time, the Sequel in several cities and on OMNI Television. Victor Malarek visited the girls and saw for himself how they were flourishing. NASHI also joined Facebook and spoke in Ottawa, Winnipeg, Flin Flon and Regina.

2019

Learning to grow

Our volunteer tour met all 16 girls and brought three bicycles, the first the girls had ever had. A beekeeping project, along with the orchard and vegetable gardens, taught them new skills as well as potential to earn income for the home. In Saskatoon we hosted the Enough is Enough action day.  Awareness was acknowledged at a National level with the introduction of the new Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-833-900-1010.

2020

Finding new ways

With Perogy Paradise cancelled, volunteers kept NASHI going with raffles, online auctions and take-home perogy sales. Meetings moved online, and events got creative such as Steve’s Teddy Bear skydiving jump for NASHI. An online awareness summit reached 22,000 people from around the world.

2021

A first for our girls

Perogy Paradise was cancelled again, so 50/50 draws, four raffles and four online auctions covered costs in Canada and Ukraine. The girls studied online, and one of them passed the exam that got her into university. We also produced a 2022 calendar and three podcasts for our YouTube channel.

2022

Leaving home

When war came to Ukraine, Director Maria, a mother to the girls, moved them to safety in Poland within two weeks, and their schooling continued online. The Maple Leaf Centre, between Lviv and the Polish border, sheltered and fed people fleeing on foot. Perogy Paradise returned, and we launched the By the Sea campaign to send the girls to summer camp. NASHI office moved to St. Joseph’s Hall.

2023

By the sea

Thanks to the By the Sea campaign, the girls spent a summer camp in Croatia. They had never seen so much water and loved every minute. They settled into their new home in Poland and picked up a new language with ease, and two of the girls passed their university exams. We will keep supporting them until they are established in their careers. 

2024

Twenty years together

NASHI launched a new website using WordPress, held Perogy Paradise 17, and raised funds with an Auto Lotto for a classic 2005 Thunderbird. Volunteers visited the girls in Poland with gifts and hugs. Awareness presentations continued in Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon and area. In October we celebrated our 20th anniversary at St. Joseph’s Hall, where Director Maria with her daughter and one of our girls shared how the Maple Leaf Centre changed their lives.