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Ukrainian updates
Kyrill (Kyryllo) continues to do well. His English was already very good when he came, but it's becoming more fluent and with a widening vocabulary.
He and my husband are currently holding long geeky conversations about the latest photos from the James Webb telescope.
We're expanding his knowledge of board games - Wingspan yesterday. He enjoyed that one. He occasionally struggles with the detailed instructions on the individual cards, but picked up the game very well overall.
He's enjoying his job, and is now earning enough to pay taxes. I suspect he's already a net gain to the UK economy.
The thing that worries him most, is of course the war. He phones his parents every evening without fail. I've learnt not to ask him about his family - it feels rude not to, but it makes him very stressed.
Ukraine is attacking back to try and retake the Kherson region. They have advised civilians to evacuate. Kyryll's parents have decided to stay. they own a clothing shop (though their income is way down - Kherson is a tourist region and there are few tourists this year. Getting stock is difficult as well). Their home, their fruit trees, their shop, they could lose everything if they run. Including their lives. They're older. Living as a refugee is hard for the young, even harder for older people. They know what the situation is like in Poland and other countries.
HIs younger brother hopes to escape.
My Ukrainian friend, Inna, escaped just after the Russians invaded. She and her 11 year old son, and a friend with a small baby and another women, all in one car. All she took with her apart from her son was a change of clothing. They left her husband (a very painful parting -she wanted to stay with him, he wanted them to be safe)
They knew they would be shot by the Russians if they were caught out after curfew. They left around 2 in the morning driving hard. Only the mother with the baby could drive, and she had to stop every few hours to breast-feed her baby.
They made it to safety. Inna, who speaks some English decided to aim for England purely because it was the only foreign language she could speak. She found a host and arrived about six weeks ago in my village. She's a very determined and pragmatic women.
She's a degree in Finance and was working as an independent financial consultant before she fled.
She applied for any work she could get, knowing full well that her English was not good enough for office work, though one local firm were kind enough to give her one week of office experience.
She's now working for McDonald's in Poole. As she says: "They wanted me".
A woman yesterday complained to me that Ukrainians were taking our jobs. I told her about Inna. She shut up.
We currently have more job vacancies than people looking for work. We have shortages right across the economy from doctors and nurses, agriculture and hospitality, all the way to IT.
The good news is that I found a local women willing to act as host to Inna's husband. He followed her out of Kherson a few weeks later, driving with friends on a horrendous journey across Russia, though numerous checkpoints. I think he's bilingual in Russian and Ukranian (many people in that region are). That may have helped with the checkpoints.
The family can't all be in the same home, but they will be within easy walking distance of each other, and that's massively better than having bombs falling on you.
The big problem for all the refugees will be when the host payments cease on the 'Homes for Ukraine' scheme. Hosts have to commit to at least 6 months, and the government will pay for upto 12 months.
This leaves two basic options - reach a new agreement with the host regarding rent (but that rent will be taxed unlike the Homes for Ukraine scheme), or move out. The second is obviously a desirable option, but we all know what the difficulties are in finding affordable rental places in the UK.
My fear is that they may find they are unable to live in the area where they currently work and are making friends and roots in the local community.
I don't know any solutions.
If the war ends, then they will be able to return home. But I think this may be a long war...
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If it has to turn into proper rent in the future, people renting out a room in their house are able to "earn" up to £7500 a year tax free, regardless of any other income/personal allowances they may have. This might help someone.
https://www.gov.uk/rent-room-in-your-home/the-rent-a-room-scheme
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I fear that the war will not end easily. I cried today reading about the Russian rocket killing a baby again...what can I say.
All is more and more complicated...Poor people, poor country...it is horrible.
We here are afraid of winter. Russia will close the gas pipes for us and that will be a disaster for our economy and all...Being a small country in the middle of Europe is really difficult...
Hugs to you and the family, and a special one to Oswin. My speaking inability is the same, I do speak but I have problems to ariculate and I have dry mouth...Oh damn. But I wish it could be at least lilke that.
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Our current provisional plan is for Kyrill to find somewhere to rent, so that we are then not hosting, and can legally invite his brother over.
Hopefully, the two of them will be able to share whatever Kyrill is able to find.
(We haven't space for both of them in our house)
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The biggest problem for many of the women is going to be child care over the school holidays. I can see that one looming...
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I keep thinking about your poor voice. I wish I could talk to you, but I know you would feel uncomfortable trying to speak English when it is difficult for you to speak at all.
I remember when I had a bad reaction to medication for my asthma - for two years I could only speak very quietly or not at all.
I understand what it must be like when you want to communicate and cannot say clearly what you want. People don't always have the patience to listen carefully. It can be very isolating.
Loving hugs.
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