Ukrainians have made Kilfinane home thanks to a warm local welcome

FOR Ukrainians who have resettled in villages and towns across Limerick, the Treaty has truly become home and Kilfinane in the south of the county has certainly extended the traditionally Irish thousand welcomes.

Kseniia Sabitova and her two teenage sons - Tim and Karim Kazannik, aged 17 and 16, moved to Kilfinane from Kyiv in April 2022 just months after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Ms Sabitova started out, like more than thirty others who came to Kilfinane, by living in the Ballyhoura Luxury Hostel, and now lives in an apartment in the town, which she moved into in July 2023.

“The hostel welcomed us very kindly and two volunteers came to us each week during the year to teach us English. I am infinitely grateful to them.

“It’s a lovely community - we have so much support here. My sons went to Scoil Pól when we arrived,” she told Limerick Live.

Speaking about when she first came to Limerick, Ms Sabitova said: “The first few months were terrible, we didn’t understand what was happening or if we could work, or how long we would be here, but every week we were here, things got better and better.”

Ms Sabitova has become actively involved in the community since she moved to Kilfinane, she has been a member of Kilfinane Community Council since September 2021 - just five months after she came to Ireland, is part of the community choir and during the summers, herself and her sons helped out with the local tidy towns group.

Both of her sons got very involved as well and they play soccer and hurling locally, and Karim also enjoys mountain biking on the Ballyhoura trails.

They have also been involved in the cultural food fair and have really enjoyed bringing a bit of their culture and a taste of Ukraine to Kilfinane.

When asked if she plans to go back to Ukraine, Ms Sabitova’s tone of voice changed, as she reflected on something, which she has clearly thought a lot about.

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Speaking of the destitution which affects so many Ukrainians, she said: “We don’t know - our house was destroyed. When we came, we brought a guitar and one piece of luggage - nothing. We didn’t think about anything, we left all of our life behind.”

In Ukraine, Ms Sabitova was a teacher with a Masters in philosophy, but here she had to relearn everything.

She has spent the last year doing business and development courses with Ballyhoura Development, as a way to develop new skills for her new life here in Limerick.

“I need to change my professional English and I’d like to go back to college here,” Ms Sabitova said.

Speaking about the changes since she left Ukraine, she said: “My eldest son is going to do a PLC course and may go into community healthcare. Of course I miss my family, but I need to take steps for our life here, we need to live our life.”