When 13-year-old Arsienii is asked what his favourite thing about his mum, Jane, is. She’s surprised by his answer. “I think you’re very clever,” he says. Their bond is strong. Having been through so much over the last 8 months, it’s Jane’s two children that keep her going. As a single mum, it was a heartbreaking decision for Jane to leave everything she knew behind in Ukraine – including her parents and their pet cat and dog.

The International Rescue Committee provides vital support to Sierra Leoneans recovering from civil war, the Ebola epidemic, the Covid-19 pandemic and the global impacts of the war in Ukraine.