Iva is a Ukrainian who has been living in Petersfield since June 2022. From a state of confusion, depression and fear of a woman in her 40s who barely knew English.

In three years she has gone the way to a confident Ukrainian who has a paid job in the UK and volunteers with Ukrainians. Supporting others to help adapt to the UK, while supporting her family in Ukraine.

She shares her thoughts on the third anniversary of the war.

Ukraine, one day in February.

February 24, 2022. After this day, the lives of Ukrainians will never be the same again. To believe that the Great War, which took place in the last century in Europe and Great Britain, could happen again is impossible.

It is impossible! Were my first words on that terrible morning. But gradually the realisation came, the war came to my home.

At that time it seemed that the war could last only a couple of days or weeks and it was some kind of mistake! But it continued, claiming thousands of victims, destroying homes and destroying a country in the centre of Europe.

I read books about the bombing of London, about how British children were moved to a safe place. About problems with food and heating in the UK and we are experiencing the same thing almost 100 years later.

What are my emotions today?

I am just as scared for my loved ones in Ukraine and tears come to my eyes when you hear that some politicians are blaming Ukraine itself for the attack on Ukraine. How is that? We ourselves started the war? It is a shame that in the millennium of modern technology, propaganda and disinformation are spreading.

I am an ordinary Ukrainian and I cannot evaluate the words and actions of the presidents of other countries.

But I support the words of President Zelenskyy - “Ukraine’s victory will be when the entire territory returns to the 1991 borders (with Crimea and Donbas). Yes, peace is important to us. But not peace with security guarantees. Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons and the world promised to protect Ukraine.”

I have two master’s degrees (journalism and management in education) and additional education in working with people with disabilities. Over the past two years, I have organised and conducted support groups for Ukrainians in Britain, worked with children with autism and people with disabilities, and volunteered. But the hardest thing three years ago was finding a job.

It’s no secret that no one likes refugees, they treat us with caution. For example, Ukrainians have now had their visas extended for 18 months. What’s next? Many of my friends can’t find a job or rent housing because it’s unknown what will happen in 18 months.

But I have good news. A new Ukrainian woman arrived in Petersfield, she lived near Kyiv, where there was a lot of shelling. This happened thanks to the Ukrainian Protection Program. I helped her find a host, a woman from Petersfield, who was ready to take in an elderly Ukrainian woman. Now she is safe and this is my main gift for the third anniversary of the war.

A very important aspect is to talk about Ukraine, don’t silence the pain that people feel. Help in any way you can.

I have also started a Ukrainian-language podcast on Petersfield’s Shine Radio called ‘Cold Coffee’. To provide culturally and linguistically appropriate mental health and wellbeing support to members of the Ukrainian community in South Hampshire. In this podcast, I invite Ukrainians and we discuss the unique challenges due to language barriers, cultural differences and experiences of displacement or trauma. You can listen to the podcast on your local radio.

Petersfield has become a place for me to recover from my injuries and I am sincerely grateful to all the residents of Petersfield and the surrounding towns who are still helping me collect donations for Ukraine. Glory to Ukraine!