An Ascot woman has set her sights on helping 100 refugees who have fled Ukraine for Romania without any money, clothes and food.
As the Russian invasion drove women and children from their home, many travelled to Romania to find refuge or respite before travelling further afield.
Christina Apostol, a Romanian national who moved to Ascot 5 years ago has been co-ordinating with her family in Romania to help assist charity work taking place in the capital.
Apostol said: “My twin sister supports a hospital charity, where her and her husband work as surgeons and although there is some funds to help women and children, the charity is in need of some help.”
“She lives in the residential part of a the Rin Grand Hotel in Bucharest which was then opened to provide places to stay for people who have fled Ukraine.
“Although their accommodation is covered, they have very little else to sustain them and are trapped in one room with four, five, six children.”
“It’s very difficult to survive with all those babies in one room.”
Alongside the hospital charity, Raluda and Christian Marica are not only providing food, clothes and toys for the refugees, they are also trying to take the families out to give them some activity throughout the day.
As well as helping with essentials, the next step for the charity is to help people waiting for cheap flights to get to their final destination.
Christina explained: “That’s why I got involved, because I thought I could help these refugees leave the hotel.
“In addition, the train station in Bucharest has been turned into a place for refugees. The charity has provided beds, some blankets and some food but there is so much more that we could do together.
“My goal now is to help my sister and her husband with the mothers and children in the hotel and then move my focus to the people in the train station.
With the help of friends and family in the UK, she has already been able to send money to help her sister and brother-in-law with the charity. She has also sent £2,000 of her own funds to begin buying supplies and help with transport.
If you wish to help Christina help women and children trapped in Romania click here to donate.
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