COVID-19 Fund for Nauru Refugee Family in NJ
Donation protected
Before the New Jersey COVID-19 lockdown, Thanu, 19, said she was feeling safe and happy for the first time in many years.
Mum was working in housekeeping, Thanu at a grocery store and Nivetha, 21, at a shopping mall. But as of writing, the family is struggling under lockdown near the epicenter of the crisis -- they rely on a $190/wk unemployment check which is their sole source of income.
After finally getting a fresh start, the COVID-19 crisis has thrown the family into limbo. The Aussie-run Ads-Up Refugee Network has created this emergency GoFundMe and linked it directly to their bank account -- please chip in if you are able >>
Twelve years ago, the family fled targeted violence in Sri Lanka. Days before they finally made it to Australia, the government instituted a sudden change to the refugee policy, meaning they were to be sent to offshore immigration detention rather than resettled, like those who arrived just days earlier.
The family spent four years stranded on Nauru in conditions condemned by the UN and Amnesty International before being resettled in New Jersey.
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 the four children. It will be deposited in their account the next day.
Thanusiya and her family are among more than a dozen Nauru refugee families who were in the early stages of rebuilding their lives in the USA when the COVID-19 crisis hit.
The youngest daughter in the family is Lasmitha (12), who loves science and learning about the solar system. Her favourite planet is Mars, because "it is red and looks like a heart." She’d like to be a police officer one day, or perhaps a lawyer.
Her brother Ayanthan (11), also says he would like to be a police officer because "Policemen are tall, brave and strong. They protect you." He loves kick a soccer ball around with friends.
Like many families across the globe they are going a “little stir crazy.” Mum is doing her best to keep her children engaged and schooled from home.
They just want to get back to school and work, Thanu told us, but they are healthy and as long as they have enough to keep paying the bills, they’ll get through it as a family.
Please chip in what you can, it will be deposited directly to the family’s account the next day.
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
– Family of four from Sri Lanka Buffalo, New York
– Second family of four from Sri Lanka Buffalo, New York
– Family of five in Elizabeth, New Jersey
– Family of five in El Cajon, California
– Family of six in El Cajon, California
– Expectant mother, North Carolina
Mum was working in housekeeping, Thanu at a grocery store and Nivetha, 21, at a shopping mall. But as of writing, the family is struggling under lockdown near the epicenter of the crisis -- they rely on a $190/wk unemployment check which is their sole source of income.
After finally getting a fresh start, the COVID-19 crisis has thrown the family into limbo. The Aussie-run Ads-Up Refugee Network has created this emergency GoFundMe and linked it directly to their bank account -- please chip in if you are able >>
Twelve years ago, the family fled targeted violence in Sri Lanka. Days before they finally made it to Australia, the government instituted a sudden change to the refugee policy, meaning they were to be sent to offshore immigration detention rather than resettled, like those who arrived just days earlier.
The family spent four years stranded on Nauru in conditions condemned by the UN and Amnesty International before being resettled in New Jersey.
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 the four children. It will be deposited in their account the next day.
Thanusiya and her family are among more than a dozen Nauru refugee families who were in the early stages of rebuilding their lives in the USA when the COVID-19 crisis hit.
The youngest daughter in the family is Lasmitha (12), who loves science and learning about the solar system. Her favourite planet is Mars, because "it is red and looks like a heart." She’d like to be a police officer one day, or perhaps a lawyer.
Her brother Ayanthan (11), also says he would like to be a police officer because "Policemen are tall, brave and strong. They protect you." He loves kick a soccer ball around with friends.
Like many families across the globe they are going a “little stir crazy.” Mum is doing her best to keep her children engaged and schooled from home.
They just want to get back to school and work, Thanu told us, but they are healthy and as long as they have enough to keep paying the bills, they’ll get through it as a family.
Please chip in what you can, it will be deposited directly to the family’s account the next day.
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
– Family of four from Sri Lanka Buffalo, New York
– Second family of four from Sri Lanka Buffalo, New York
– Family of five in Elizabeth, New Jersey
– Family of five in El Cajon, California
– Family of six in El Cajon, California
– Expectant mother, North Carolina
Fundraising team: Ads-Up Refugee Network (2)
Thanusiya Thavarasa
Organizer
Elizabeth, NJ
Ben Winsor
Team member
