Uploaded September 2022 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
When 13-year-old Arsienii is asked what his favourite thing about his mum, Jane, is. She’s surprised by his answer.
“I think you’re very clever,” he says.
Their bond is strong. Having been through so much over the last 8 months, it’s Jane’s two children that keep her going.
As a single mum, it was a heartbreaking decision for Jane to leave everything she knew behind in Ukraine – including her parents and their pet cat and dog. But when the war broke out, their lives changed completely.
“We couldn’t go to work, school or the shops. We couldn’t get fresh bread. Our life became dangerous and scary,” says Jane. “I don’t wish this on anyone.”
Jane single-handedly drove her Arsienii and her daughter, 8-year-old Sofiia, from the east to the west of Ukraine. With millions like them fleeing the country, it took five days with the amount of traffic. They eventually reached Lithuania, where they stayed in a friend's kitchen before applying to the UK's Visa Sponsorship Scheme.
Through Farnham Homes For Ukraine, Jane’s family were paired with a family based in Surrey, who offered to host them. Five months since they first arrived, they are still living with their host family.
The experience has completely changed the way Jane thinks about the refugee experience. “Don’t think you know their situation,” Jane advises. “You have no idea of the life they live.”
Watch as Jane and Arseinii interview each other about their journey from Ukraine to the UK, what they’ve learnt from their experience and their hopes for the future.
LEARN MORE at: rescue.org/uk/country/united-kingdom
When 13-year-old Arsienii is asked what his favourite thing about his mum, Jane, is. She’s surprised by his answer.
“I think you’re very clever,” he says.
Their bond is strong. Having been through so much over the last 8 months, it’s Jane’s two children that keep her going.
As a single mum, it was a heartbreaking decision for Jane to leave everything she knew behind in Ukraine – including her parents and their pet cat and dog. But when the war broke out, their lives changed completely.
“We couldn’t go to work, school or the shops. We couldn’t get fresh bread. Our life became dangerous and scary,” says Jane. “I don’t wish this on anyone.”
Jane single-handedly drove her Arsienii and her daughter, 8-year-old Sofiia, from the east to the west of Ukraine. With millions like them fleeing the country, it took five days with the amount of traffic. They eventually reached Lithuania, where they stayed in a friend's kitchen before applying to the UK's Visa Sponsorship Scheme.
Through Farnham Homes For Ukraine, Jane’s family were paired with a family based in Surrey, who offered to host them. Five months since they first arrived, they are still living with their host family.
The experience has completely changed the way Jane thinks about the refugee experience. “Don’t think you know their situation,” Jane advises. “You have no idea of the life they live.”
Watch as Jane and Arseinii interview each other about their journey from Ukraine to the UK, what they’ve learnt from their experience and their hopes for the future.
LEARN MORE at: rescue.org/uk/country/united-kingdom
