Hello! My name is Jenya Cobb and I have created this GoFundMe on behalf of my sister, Anya, and her children, Kira (12) and Sergei (8), to help them leave a life of war in Ukraine and come to a place of hope.
Anya has lived in Donetsk all her life. For 3 weeks, she and her daughter, Kira, and her son, Sergei, have survived daily bombings and shelling. The first week they took shelter in the hallway to be safe from flying glass and debris. The last two weeks they lived in the basement of the apartment, where there was no heat, light, or water. There were three basements which had been used for storing preserves, that were sheltering 60 people each, including many children. The preserves were the only food they had. The photo shows Kira and Sergei in the bomb shelter. The bombings continued and they could feel the walls shake. Some people left and never came back. The parents tried to keep their children calm by playing games and reading books to them. When Anya tried to go back to her apartment, she was told it was completely destroyed—everything they owned and treasured was gone. All they had were the clothes on their backs, a cellphone, and the documents Anya had wisely grabbed on the way out the door.
A journalist covering the destruction in Donetsk was surprised to find survivors living in these basements. He was able to locate a large army car and transport them to a school, where they were able to enjoy their first real meal in over three weeks and then they slept on the floor.
Anya is a hardworking young woman who will do anything for her children. She left an abusive husband and has worked multiple jobs earning what money she can to provide for her children. She knows that the life they had no longer exists and she has to decide how they will survive and where they will go next. Their hope is to come to America. She and her children are making their way to Riga, the capital of Latvia, to start the complicated process of applying for visas and purchase plane tickets to the United States---all without any money. Support is needed for all basic necessities to start rebuilding their lives. They have a long road ahead of them.
Thank you in advance for your generosity. All funds will be deposited directly into Jenya’s bank account and transferred to Anya. No donation is too small.
