Ukrainians adjusting to life in Omagh district

In a third-floor boardroom in Omagh Community House on Wednesday morning, people slowly filtered inside in their ones and twos.

Some of them were from the local council, while others came on behalf of local charities.

However, most important among those in attendance, were those who gave rise to the event in the first place – the Ukrainian people who have found sanctuary in homes in Omagh and its surrounding areas over the last few months.

The informal gathering was organised to allow displaced Ukrainians to meet one and other, and, equally, to let those who have taken them in to compare and contrast this most extraordinary of domestic adjustments.

It was a moving experience.

We spoke with a few of those present.

Their stories were agonising, surreal, powerful and important.

They were all there to talk, relate and find out what support is available for them locally.

With everyone sat around a long rectangle of adjoined tables, Mary Lafferty of ERANO – the charity which organised the event – with the aid of a tri-lingual interpreter named Nadia Smaidre, who explained to everyone present what exactly was going on.

“Today is about getting everyone under one roof and allowing people to come together to have a chat,” Mary set the tone.

Many different charitable organisations were there to offer their support to the Ukrainians and their hosts.

Representatives from St Vincent de Paul, Omagh Ethnic Community Support Group, South West College, and, among others, Reach Food Bank. Each, in turn, explained before the group how the help that they could offer.

Once the slightly more officious business wrapped up, people began to mingle, with some swapping stories, while others sought out the relevant people to find out about the finer details of coping with their particular challenges they were facing.

We took the opportunity to speak with Nadia Smaidre.

“We held one of these events in Fermanagh a few weeks ago and it was a huge success, so we decided to hold another in Omagh,” she said.

“It was primarily a social thing where people could come in, talk and share their stories – it is very important for them to be able to share their stories and relate to someone,” said Nadia.

“Some people here today have probably found new friends – for example, there were two ladies (Iryana and Kristina), who, until today, had no idea that they just lived a few streets apart here in Omagh.

“They’ve made that connection and that is a great demontration of the purspose of mornings like this.”

Near the tail end of our chat, Nadia noted the positive response of those who find themselves in Omagh, many miles from home.

“Usually they are overwhelmed by how welcomed they are, how accepted they are and how everyone wants to help them.

“So, overall, it’s been brilliant. The people of Omagh have been so welcoming. Now, we need them to keep helping the charities, so they can keep helping the people.”