Help our Mum escape the war in Ukraine

Vlad's Mum, Liubov, lives in Kharkiv, Ukraine. She is a 73 yr old retired teacher, without any family in the country, and has lost everything but what she can carry. She spent the first two weeks of the invasion in her shelled-out flat, exposed to consistent below-freezing temperatures. She's now sheltering closer to the central train station, waiting for the time when it will be safer to evacuate.

Liubov's just been granted an emergency visa to join us here in New Zealand, so now we need to get her out of Ukraine and to get Vlad to go meet her and bring her home to us in the Wairarapa.

The name Liubov means Love, Aroha, and it absolutely fits her - she is the most loving mother and grandmother, and our hearts are breaking that she has been caught in the middle of heavy fighting since the first day of the invasion. If you're keen to help bring relief to someone in Ukraine, this is a way for you to have a DIRECT impact.

Many of you know Vlad, Lubov's only child, through his role as a Carer for people with special needs and a Teacher Aide. Vlad, like Lubov, is always first to help others - and now they could use your help.

We will keep this page open for a few more weeks even if we hit our target to help Liubov as much as we can.