In March 2022, Anna and Maxim Ivashchenko, along with their parents, paternal grandparents and maternal grandmother escaped from Mariupol. They took only what they could fit in their car, everything else was lost. For several months they moved better different shelters and camps for refugees.
In early 2023, the family was living in Kyiv, when the father died suddenly of cancer. The mother, maternal grandmother, and children moved to the small village of Tarasovka. The father’s parents stayed in Kyiv because the grandfather was ill with cancer and needed regular access to medical care. The maternal grandmother, who is bedridden and ill, moved with her daughter and grandchildren, as she relies on her daughter for daily care.
Today, Maxim (14 years old) lives in the one room apartment in Kyiv with his grandparents during the week so he can study at a technical high school. He travels to Tarasovka on weekends and holidays to be with his mother and sister.
Anna (9 years old) changed schools six times in two years as the family relocated from one temporary camp to another. Now she travels 40 minutes each day to the “local” school, closest to Tarasovka.
The Ivashchenko family has endured so much over the past two years, losing their home, their father, and everything they hold dear. It was an honor and privilege to provide them supplies and clothing for the new school year. We hope that by reminding them they are not forgotten they will have the strength to persevere and remain hopeful for better days ahead.
