Living for two months without electricity and gas in the heart of Europe can seem romantic, but it is painful.

Hello, my name is Hanna, I am 39 years old. I am a single mom who has been raising my daughter alone for 17 years. We are from Odesa and have been living in Rome for several years.

Two months ago, the landlord of the apartment we live in cut off our electricity and gas. We do not hold a grudge because we understand that she is an elderly person and maybe she did not want to harm us, she just does not understand the situation she put us in.

At first, we approached the situation with a smile: we lit candles, heated water on the balcony, cooked food on a small camping stove. But I lost the opportunity to earn extra income. My computer broke, and there is no electricity or internet. For several years, I have been studying internet marketing to build a stable and interesting career and give my daughter more opportunities. Work for immigrants is not stable, and income never depends only on you. Therefore, my salary ranges from 400 to a maximum of 800 euros for both of us.

Over these two months, I have been seeking help from all Italian services, but so far none has been able to help us.

Summer has ended. The sun sets earlier and no longer warms the water on the balcony to take a shower. Much money goes to gas, which lasts only a few days, and to food that spoils without a refrigerator.

The romance of candles is gone; now there is only fear: how to survive the winter, how to do homework in the dark, how to take a shower in cold water, and how to work to build a better future when every day all energy goes into survival.

My daughter dreams of enrolling in Milan at the Faculty of Design and is learning five languages. She strives for growth and a professional future, and I want to give her the chance to achieve it.

I myself had a small business in my country and always hired single moms, helping them become independent and realize their abilities. I dream of applying my talents and experience here. I try to keep smiling, stay hopeful, and build a better future where I have a profession that makes me independent from endless freelance jobs, and my daughter has language skills, education, and career opportunities.

But I cannot get out of this situation alone. We need a new home and a new computer for work and study.

We are ready to move to a smaller city where rent is cheaper if I have the opportunity to work.

Where the money will go:

Rent for several months and utility bills

Moving expenses

A new computer and payment for educational programs

Your support will help us not just survive, but build a stable and safe future.