The power of community and determination

When my wife Kara suggested that we look to become hosts for a Ukrainian family, my first thought was ‘well, we have the space’. My second thought was: What if? What if it was us who were under attack and needed a safe place to go? I’d certainly hope that someone out there more fortunate than us might take us in. It’s been an amazing (and emotional at times) experience so far and something we all believe will enrich the lives of our family for a long time to come.

But that’s not why I have been inspired to write this post. I’ve been inspired and truly humbled by the response of the local community as well as the determination of our guests to make the most of their situation.

My wife Kara put out a request on a local Facebook group for 2nd hand mobile phones. Apart from one rather na?ve set of questions asking if that wasn’t the sort of thing the government grants were for, the response from everyone else has been amazing.

Not only have we been given two perfectly serviceable iPhones but we have been given a bed and bedding, bikes, toiletries, makeup, even cash. All from complete strangers from our village who wanted to help.

I’ve also been inspired by the resolve of the people we are hosting to make the best of their situation.

We were introduced to a mum, Svitalana and her 18 year old daughter, Katya. They were living in a city not far from Moldova, and in the early days of the war witnessed some terrifying things: massive explosions that made their apartment building shake, missiles and aircraft flying regularly overhead and the sound of more distant explosions. They initially moved in with family in nearby countryside but because of their proximity to Moldova and the risk that Russian forces may pass through if and when they decide to ‘liberate’ the Russian enclave in Moldova, they were persuaded to make the desperately hard decision to leave the country and with that, their family, friends and careers.

But it’s their determination to look after themselves, to not be a burden that I found so inspiring. When they had been with us a couple of days I took them for a drive round the local area. Svitlana was pointing out all the local businesses that were hiring. Having just been uprooted and spent three days travelling to a totally alien country, rather than stew on her predicament she had been scouring job boards for opportunities. Katya has also cracked on with her studies and exams as if nothing has changed. She is studying hotel management and her ambition is to own her own hotel one day. With the fire that burns inside her, I've no doubt that she will be a success at whatever she does.

Kara and I also started looking for work for Svitlana. We both posted in local Facebook groups and were inundated with leads of local business that were hiring. So less than two weeks after starting to look for work, Svitlana was in receipt of not one, but three job offers. Two of the offers were, as you’d expect for someone with very limited English language skills, somewhat below her previous level of experience (she is qualified in finance and business management), but they were job offers, and if it were not for the third one she would have definitely taken one of them.

The third offer was from https://www.dhirubhai.net/company/massey-feed-bros/, an agricultural feeds business in our village, Holmes Chapel, Cheshire. The MD, @Kynan Massey, saw an opportunity to help someone out, and has essentially created a role for Svitlana whereby she can help out around the factory and offices while her English improves, gradually picking up more responsibility and adding more value to the business over time.

I know that I am not responsible for what sort of a life Svitlana makes for her little family while in the UK, but I feel a huge debt of gratitude to Kynan and his team for the way they have gone out of their way to help.

Who knows what the future holds for our guests. We all hope fervently that they are able to return home before too long, but in the meantime I know that they are eternally grateful for the way our little community has stood up for them, and while they are here they will be made to feel totally welcome.