With open arms, and the true Welsh spirit, an afternoon of welcome took place in Cardiff for 70 Ukrainian mothers and their children who have sought refuge in south Wales. On Saturday many mothers and children enjoyed a day of fun, with a bouncy castle, ice cream van, live music and food within a safe environment for them to relax and meet up with each other, following their harrowing escape from their homeland Ukraine.
As I walked up the path of Brook House in Old St Mellons, I heard children laughing as they kicked around a ball, jumped on a bouncy castle and splashed about in the outside pool - you wouldn't think that months, or even weeks ago they had just evacuated their home due to war. Instead, they were given a day to switch off and experience normality for a few hours.
Olga Bakar, 40, from Ukraine came to Wales with her two children and has recently started an admin role at BCB International, who had sponsered the event. Sat in the shade, in her flowing pink and white polka dot dress - that was donated to her - Olga explains her journey on how she came to Wales.
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Three days before the war started in Ukraine, Olga was away on a business trip when all flights were cancelled back to her country. During that time, her nine and a half year old daughter was in Ukraine and her 22-year-old son was in Poland completing his degree. While frantically trying to reach her children, she received a message saying "Mama save my life" from her daughter, who was sat in a basement with her family as there was no bomb shelter near by, "we were not prepared for the war," said Olga. After hours of travel and four plane trips later, organised by her son, and further transport from the help of the Red Cross, she made it back to her daughter.
Olga shared that before she got through the border, she was told to leave her luggage and just take a loaf of bread and a big bottle of water. She said: "At the time I was so confused because we are a bread making country - I thought do they think we don't have bread?" But I took it and walked through customs and back home to collect my daughter and I found a traffic jam. Most of them had been there three and a half days while they tried to clear customs, they were very helpful for the bread and I was so glad I had the water for the train."
Olga said that she and her daughter had to stand in the corridor of a train for six hours, with people "standing like horses” and nearly suffocating from being pushed together, and the lack of air. But people came together to help, sharing water and food, with one elderly woman sharing buckwheat - which is a traditional Ukraine food (like porridge) - with her and her daughter. When they arrived at the next station, they took families off the train first, so children would not be trampled on - Olga's daughter was so grateful for the elderly woman's kindness, she lied to officials and said that she was their grandmother, so that she could get her off the train with them.
She said: "So we took this woman with us, so she became our granny. When she [her daughter] did it, I was shocked, but I supported her. The woman was thankful because she had a foot operation and had to stand for six hours - the next journey was 20 hours - but families got to sit down first on the train. I don't think she would have survived standing that long."
Olga and her daughter arrived in Poland but it was so overcrowded she went to the volunteer centre to check where the best place was to go. She said: "I've never (properly) been to Europe - I've been to Greece and Poland as a tourist - drinking martinis on the beach - but I've never lived there and everything was difficult and we were scared. " There she met a volunteer called Christian who told them to come back to Germany with him. They had a mini van that would fit 20 people - but they squeezed in 34.
After settling in the German village, they realised there was less opportunity to work and many challenges as they didn't speak the language. Olga heard about the UK programme and had to wait three months for a visa before her and her daughter made it to Wales - her son finished his degree in Poland and recently joined them three days ago.
"We're so thankful to have a day like today, to just switch off from the phone, the work, the challenges and the news back home - to not feel like a refugee. We want to live our lives, I might not live my life like I used to but I want my children to live their lives. Since February, this is the second time we've been able to switch off.
Before Olga started her new role at BCB, she was invited to their July Christmas party. She said how their warmth, generosity and hospitality nearly made her cry. She added: "You feel guilty celebrating and having a party when friends and family are still in Ukraine and people are struggling and dying trying to protect us."
She added: "The Welsh community we live in has been great, we've been given donated clothes and toys so we don't feel different to others. Life might not return to how we know it but my daughter is happy." Olga shares how her young daughter has adapted to Welsh culture, enjoys arts and crafts in her new primary school and has made a best friend.
"It has been difficult being separated from family and friends. My Mum and brother are still in Ukraine. They went to the Poland border with their young children and got sent away. They are living in a hotel in the mountains and they are provided with a meal three times a day. It's nice when you're in a hotel for a bit, but after two weeks you feel that it is a prison," she said.
Olga and many other mothers' shared how they were grateful to meet each other at the event, as many have no friends around them while staying with their host families. Olga added: "Transport is hard here and my friend lives in Hensol now and I'm in Church Village - by car it's probably quicker but for us it take two hours to get there and two hours back and on Sunday there's no transport - but at least we are here, we're so thankful for that."
Many women shared how they had enjoyed the afternoon of fun, but felt guilty as their fathers, husbands and sons still remained in Ukraine, fighting for their safety in the hopes of them returning one day. Ganna Vishnevska came to Wales a week and a half ago, with her youngest children who are two and seven years old. But, her husband and two other sons remain in Ukraine, fighting for their home and living in dire conditions. She said: "I will do anything I can to stay here and any money I make will be sent home to my family."
Janey Howell who has arranged the afternoon, said: "Everyone who joined us spoke of the tremendous support and understanding provided by the WRC, (The Welsh Refugee Council set up and funded by the Welsh Government to provide support for Ukraine refugees).
"However, the survival mechanism that each one of these women have deployed over this past year can only be described as exhausting. I arranged today’s event with the hope of providing light relief for the women and children who are currently being housed throughout south Wales."
Olga has worked tirelessly to bring the south Wales Ukraine refugee women together, and is thrilled with the idea of this afternoon. She said: "I would like to thank Janey for all her work in pulling this together and giving us the opportunity to sit with one another, learning together about how we move forward. Wales has been so kind to us and we are so grateful for everyone’s warm Welsh welcome. To know our children are safe and happy is more than we could have dreamed of a few months ago."
Sponsors of the event included BCB International, of which Janey is a director. BCB International has been working with local authorities to provide work opportunities for Ukrainian refugees. The company provides life-saving equipment across the globe, working recently with the British Government and NGOs in the surrounding nations of Ukraine to provide relief. Olly’s Snacks have donated their pretzel snacks for those attending the day, and Howell’s School Llandaff contributed tableware, as well as locals supporting the women, bringing baked goods, drinks and food, as well as offering transportation from the host family’s home to the event.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the Welsh Government pledged to be "super sponsors", initially accommodating up to 1,000 Ukraine refugees. To date 4,192 Ukraine refugees have been welcomed The Welsh Refugee Council (WRC) set up and funded by the Welsh government to provide support for Ukraine refugees in Wales.
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