Another Family in Crisis...

Dear friends and supporters,

Another desperate situation has come to our attention, as friends of a charity member were left homeless and helpless as their flat burned down. Oleksandra with her daughter and Alyona with her five foster children (from ages 4-16) found their flat aflame after coming home from searching for everyday necessities.

Having fled from Balakliya, Kharkiv region where Oleksandra and Esenia (7yo) experienced intense bombing from the Russian military, moving in with their relatives was an attempt at escaping the harsh reality of nearby devastation. Even with shelling a constant occurrence, Oleksandra witnessed horrible events, such as Russian soldiers under the influence of alcohol opening fire on innocent civilians who were queueing for bread. With life becoming unbearable, she (along with her daughter) was welcomed by Alyona and her children to stay with them in Pervomais’kyi, Kharkiv region, where they could be safer and supported by their relatives.

It came, therefore, as a huge shock when their safe haven caught fire, and with the weather changing for the worse, a storm began to rage. The blustering wind whipped up the flames higher, plumes of smoke suffocated the freezing air and the remains of the apartment were left scorched and incinerated. Within their home, all possessions were either destroyed by the fire or the effort to put it out, leaving two women with six children in uttermost despair. With the limited clothes they had on their back and completely unprepared for the disaster, they were taken in for the night by some nearby friends, grateful for the warmth and care.

Now they are facing extremely cold weather, trying to sort out the apartment remains to salvage anything they can, all while thinking about evacuation. Thankfully, no one was in the apartment when tragedy hit, but the trauma and stress is taking a huge toll on both the adults and children. It is still unclear on what exactly caused the fire but it is most likely that it was a short fuse that was triggered by the shelling.

New Beginnings will help them get back onto their feet, through funding and supporting them. We need your donations to provide them a safe place to stay, warm clothes and shoes for the bitter cold and other basic provisions no children should go without. This is an urgent humanitarian need and we will go to any lengths to assist them in getting resources in the besieged city, and later get them out to safety completely. With your support we can help this family and others like them overcome this crisis.