Donegal Native Growth Firm has appointed Juliia Melnyk because the county’s latest Group Hyperlinks Officer.
The Bundoran-based neighborhood volunteer, who has been dwelling in Eire since final March, says she may be very grateful to the folks of the Bundoran for the assist her household has acquired.
“The folks of Bundoran have been so pleasant and welcoming,” she says. “And there have been lower than 2,000 folks in Bundoran earlier than the struggle, so it is a huge enhance in inhabitants, it is arduous on the native communities.”
Jolene Kuyper, Ukrainian Refugee Venture Coordinator at DLDC, stated: “Juliia has been doing trojan work within the province to assist the Ukrainian neighborhood, so when she utilized for the job she was greater than certified.”
“She was already doing all this nice work voluntarily, so now she’s doing it as a job,” she provides.
Juliia will work along with her DLDC staff and the roughly 900 Ukrainian refugees at the moment dwelling within the Bundoran space of Donegal. Since she speaks good English, her translation abilities are important.
“I’m very completely satisfied that I bought the job,” says Juliia, “There are a whole lot of Ukrainian folks right here, so the job may be very busy”.
On February 24, Juliia Melnyk’s life modified utterly.
Russian troops invaded Sumy, her household’s hometown, in northeastern Ukraine, 30 kilometers from the Russian border.
“My husband informed me to depart him there and go along with the 2 women. I did not wish to, however we knew we had no alternative with Russian troopers on the road”.
Juliia’s good friend in Sumy learn an article about Eire and, since they’d English, prompt they arrive right here. The journey continues to be a blur for Juliia.
“We have been all in shock, so I nonetheless cannot bear in mind the journey throughout Ukraine to Poland and Germany after which the flight to Dublin,” she says.
They arrived in Eire on 17 March and arrived in Bundoran. She was shocked by the great thing about the Donegal area.
“I had by no means traveled overseas earlier than, so every thing was utterly new,” she stated. “However a number of months earlier than I had painted a scene of the ocean and cliffs, simply from my creativeness, however after we bought to Donegal it appeared prefer it, so it was like I had dreamed it”.
With a doctorate in economics, Juliia taught on the college in Ukraine.
It is a great distance from economics to volunteering in Bundoran, however Juliia instantly felt prefer it. She had began working at an area bar over Easter.
Final summer time, Juliia bought concerned within the surf membership and launched a bunch of younger Ukrainians to the waves of Bundoran.
“After all the youngsters had by no means surfed earlier than they usually liked it”.
The surf group has since gained a area people award for his or her volunteer work.
DLDC Group Recognition Awards
She additionally now runs a Stroll and Chat group, which brings Ukrainians and locals collectively on scenic walks across the Bundoran space to study in regards to the native wildlife, historical past and share their tales over soup and sandwiches. She additionally works with native kids with disabilities and Foroige.
Juliia, after all, hopes that the struggle will finish, however she is afraid of what comes first. For now, her hometown of Sumy is again in Ukrainian palms, however they count on a significant offensive from Russia within the area within the coming months. Her husband continues to be a part of the native safety service in Ukraine. Juliia is as philosophical as she will be able to get below the circumstances.
“It is unbelievable that one thing like this occurs for Russia to really invade our fashionable society, I nonetheless cannot fathom it, we hope it should finish quickly”.
Juliia and her household stay in a resort in Bundoran the place they share a room. Her two women are actually 10 and 11, a yr older they usually know much more about browsing and Eire than they did a yr in the past.
Ukrainian economist appointed as new neighborhood outreach officer in Donegal was final modified: January 31, 2023 by the use of
