American Support for Mariupol Native
Sofiia surrounded by support in Arizona
Hello, everyone. My name is Sofiia (third from left in photo), and I am a FLEX exchange student from Ukraine. I hope that a lot of people know about what is going on in Ukraine now. During the last month, the situation there got worse, especially in my city of Mariupol.
So, I would like to share an experience that I faced recently. It was a hard time when I found out that Mariupol was occupied by Russian troops. My parents and younger brother were staying there during the Russian attacks.
It was a hard time when I found out that Mariupol was occupied by Russian troops.
I did not have a connection with my natural family for more than two weeks. I was getting a lot of news about the destruction, deaths, and explosions in my city. I am extremely grateful for my host family. They were with me during this hard time. My host parents and sisters supported me and prayed for my family. It meant the world to me.
Also, I would love to thank all the people from PAX who are concerned about me and my family. Thank you for each call from PAX representatives and their support. Last but not least, my new friends in the USA are amazing. They are trying to make me feel better and feel less overwhelmed.
Overall, I want to say that I have the best people around me and I appreciate them so much.
—Sofiia (FLEX, Ukraine), hosted by the Backus family (AZ)
