My name is Varvara Kronberg (form.Zhemchuzhnikova), and I am reaching out during one of the most difficult transitions of my life.

After almost 12 years of marriage and building a life together in Canada with the person I fell in love remotely, I am now navigating a complex separation that has left me emotionally and financially vulnerable.

When I immigrated to Canada with my child to start a family, I trusted my partner to manage our finances and all paperwork. First 2 years, in Canada I waited for the residency status to be approved to be able to start working and rebuild my career.

My second child was born during that time.

Throughout our relationship, I was primarily focused on motherhood and partnership needs, children's education, physical and emotional needs of the family, community work, personal art practice, running household and calendars, as well as trying to build my career in art, design, tech during multiple family relocations, transitions and isolation periods. Over the years, all financial and paperwork matters as well as all my digital accounts continued to be handled by my husband, which now makes the process of separation and divorce especially challenging.

His abrupt leaving right when I turned 40 and starting a new family unit with our family friend affected me emotionally.

My children got affected by instability in a significant way.

It's been almost a year as I work to establish new stability, obtain legal support, and work toward financial independence to support education, development and emotional needs of my 2children.

The separation has deeply affected my children (N, 10, and S, 19), who is adjusting to major changes while I navigate this transition. I am doing my best to rebuild a safe, stable, and supportive environment for us, while ensuring fairness and clarity in the divorce process.

To do this, I am working with Agnes Huang, a highly respected family lawyer based in Vancouver. Agnes has a long-standing commitment to women’s rights and access to justice — she has worked with feminist organizations such as the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) and the Vancouver Status of Women, and has been recognized for her excellence in public service and family law advocacy. Her hourly rate is CAD504 (tax incl)

The significant portion of donations were used for consultations and legal advice while I navigate separation. Thank you!

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Any amount helps, and every gesture of support brings me closer to safety and rebuilding independence. If you cannot donate, please consider sharing this campaign.

Thank you for caring

With love,

Varvara