Iryna Chabak

Iryna is from Ukraine and came to Dungannon with her baby girl when war was ravaging her home country. She grew up in East Ukraine and went to study and work in Kiev. Her baby was only a few months old when war broke out and she was fearful primarily for her baby’s life and after speaking with her doctor who encouraged her to leave she finally made it to NI. Somewhere in her heart she was drawn to come her but the journey was so difficult and the decision to finally leave very hard for her. Initially, she had a ticket to come to Ireland but she couldn’t leave and several months later found the courage to leave via Poland for the UK.

She is here under the UK Government Homes for Ukrainians scheme and like so many from her country lives in this limbo as her temporary humanitarian visa is only valid for another 6 months and the future is so uncertain for her. It’s hard to put down roots but for the sake of her child she does her best. Her daughter is now in pre school and Iryna works in a coffee shop, even though she has a university degree in finance but she wants to work. She sees this as really important to give back and contribute to her host country.

Life isn’t easy. She speaks about how much of the Ukrainian culture has been lost and changed so frequently by those in power that it is very hard to hold on to her traditions yet she is proud of her country even though she does feel she belongs in NI now. She loves to cook and especially bake and show generous hospitality to others but there is an underlying anxiety that is hard to shake off living with such uncertainty as a refugee on a temporary visa. Drawing on inspiration from her culture, Iryna is a very gifted artist, craft maker and writer.