COVID-19 Fund for Nauru Refugee Family of Four, NY
Donation protected
Before the New York COVID-19 lockdown, Kanakarasa had just obtained his NY drivers licence so he was looking forward to returning to work as an Uber and Lyft driver. Now there is no work and he does not have easy access to unemployment benefits.
His wife is studying at an ESL school so the family is dependent on his income. His son, Jerostalin, is in the 11th grade and is a good student. He would like to be a doctor one day. His daughter, Joyshalini is in Grade 10 and would one day like to be a nurse, maybe work with her older brother.
The Aussie-run Ads-Up Refugee Network has created this emergency GoFundMe and linked it directly to the family’s bank account. If you are able, please chip in to help them cover expenses – donations will be deposited the very next day >>
Twenty four years ago, Kanakarasa fled targeted violence in Sri Lanka only to spend 18 years in a refugee camp in India. He told us this time was challenging as he did not have any work or study rights, however he was grateful to meet his wife with whom he now has two children.
In 2014 he and his family fled uncertainty and instability in India. Days before they finally made it to Australia, the government instituted a sudden change to the refugee policy, meaning they were sent to offshore immigration detention rather than resettled, like those who arrived just days earlier.
The family spent an additional four years stranded on Nauru in conditions condemned by the UN and Amnesty International before being first resettled in California. They struggled to cover the costs of daily living in CA, and had just relocated to Buffalo, NY when the COVID-19 crisis hit.
For a family who was already doing it tough, with multiple relocations and living without basic household supplies such as plates, cups and mattresses, the COVID-19 crisis has thrown the family further into limbo.
If you can, please chip in now to help give them a fair go, so they can cover rent, food and can continue to provide for their kids.
Both children share a passion for music and sports. Jerostalin loves playing the saxophone and is in a band. His school in CA provided him with a saxophone but his new school in NY sadly doesn't have one. He enjoys playing soccer.
Joyshalini enjoys playing the flute, art and badminton. They said they are watching a lot of movies at home to pass the time, as well as continuing their studies online.
Like many parents across the globe, Mum and Dad are doing their best to keep their children engaged and schooled from home.
It’s a challenge, Kanakarasa told us, "We are feeling unhappy we cannot go outside and worry about how long this will go on for. We try to remain hopeful and continue to pray as a family and with our church group for everyone who is being affected by the virus."
Thank you so much for your support.
To volunteer with our network and learn more about our work in America and Canada, visit the Ads Up Refugee Network website.
The Ads-Up Refugee Network's COVID-19 Fundraisers for Nauru families resettling in the USA:
– Single mother with four daughters Ft Wayne, Indiana
– Expectant mother, North Carolina
– Family of four from Sri Lanka Buffalo, New York
– Family of five in Elizabeth, New Jersey
– Family of five in El Cajon, California
– Single mother with four kids in Elizabeth, New Jersey
– Family of six in El Cajon, California
His wife is studying at an ESL school so the family is dependent on his income. His son, Jerostalin, is in the 11th grade and is a good student. He would like to be a doctor one day. His daughter, Joyshalini is in Grade 10 and would one day like to be a nurse, maybe work with her older brother.
The Aussie-run Ads-Up Refugee Network has created this emergency GoFundMe and linked it directly to the family’s bank account. If you are able, please chip in to help them cover expenses – donations will be deposited the very next day >>
Twenty four years ago, Kanakarasa fled targeted violence in Sri Lanka only to spend 18 years in a refugee camp in India. He told us this time was challenging as he did not have any work or study rights, however he was grateful to meet his wife with whom he now has two children.
In 2014 he and his family fled uncertainty and instability in India. Days before they finally made it to Australia, the government instituted a sudden change to the refugee policy, meaning they were sent to offshore immigration detention rather than resettled, like those who arrived just days earlier.
The family spent an additional four years stranded on Nauru in conditions condemned by the UN and Amnesty International before being first resettled in California. They struggled to cover the costs of daily living in CA, and had just relocated to Buffalo, NY when the COVID-19 crisis hit.
For a family who was already doing it tough, with multiple relocations and living without basic household supplies such as plates, cups and mattresses, the COVID-19 crisis has thrown the family further into limbo.
If you can, please chip in now to help give them a fair go, so they can cover rent, food and can continue to provide for their kids.
Both children share a passion for music and sports. Jerostalin loves playing the saxophone and is in a band. His school in CA provided him with a saxophone but his new school in NY sadly doesn't have one. He enjoys playing soccer.
Joyshalini enjoys playing the flute, art and badminton. They said they are watching a lot of movies at home to pass the time, as well as continuing their studies online.
Like many parents across the globe, Mum and Dad are doing their best to keep their children engaged and schooled from home.
It’s a challenge, Kanakarasa told us, "We are feeling unhappy we cannot go outside and worry about how long this will go on for. We try to remain hopeful and continue to pray as a family and with our church group for everyone who is being affected by the virus."
Thank you so much for your support.
To volunteer with our network and learn more about our work in America and Canada, visit the Ads Up Refugee Network website.
The Ads-Up Refugee Network's COVID-19 Fundraisers for Nauru families resettling in the USA:
– Single mother with four daughters Ft Wayne, Indiana
– Expectant mother, North Carolina
– Family of four from Sri Lanka Buffalo, New York
– Family of five in Elizabeth, New Jersey
– Family of five in El Cajon, California
– Single mother with four kids in Elizabeth, New Jersey
– Family of six in El Cajon, California
Fundraising team: Ads-Up Refugee Network (2)
Kanakarasa Sellathurai
Organizer
Buffalo, NY
Ben Winsor
Team member
