Olena Petriuchenko and her daughters Anastasiia Limarenko, 15, and Yelyzaveta Petriuchenko, just three, are spending their first Easter in the United Kingdom. He gave them a new home in Ketley Grange by the kind-hearted Pam Rogers and her husband David. They arrived this week after they were finally granted a visa, but are facing separation from other family members and are getting used to living in a new country where the language barrier will be difficult, as well as important tasks such as starting school and working. Even small things like getting a sim card for a new mobile phone and a bank account to access or deposit money have proved difficult. The family is from Kharkiv, the second largest city in Ukraine and usually hosts almost 1.5 million people. It is also a city under siege by Russian troops who are constantly bombing it. They are separated from their father and Olena’s husband, Vitaly, who belongs to the front line resistance. Host Pam Rogers with family Olena’s English is broken, with Anastasia succeeding in the language she has learned so far in school, but it will be some time before she enrolls in a school here, something she desperately wants to do. They also need to find a kindergarten for Yelyzaveta. Pam, 57, is a credit checker at Muller and David, 61, is a production supervisor at Ricoh and lives in a four-bedroom house in Ketley Grange. She signed up to support a family on the government website, but was independently mapped by Magdalena Benadda of Lawley, who is a member of the Help Ukraine Telford Facebook group. The group brought another Ukrainian family to the Telford area, with 15 waiting for visas. Pam spoke to the Shropshire Star this week about the plight of her donor family now in the UK, but says she’m very happy to be here. He said: “The situation in which they come from in the wider Ukraine is unthinkable – we have all seen the photos on TV, but to have experienced it and to be forced to leave your home and loved ones behind is terrible. “They lived on the fifth floor of an apartment building, the type you see on Russian television. They have come here with nothing and they have to start from the beginning. “Olena worked in the administration in Ukraine, but the family has nothing to do with saving because you earn very little there. “He hopes to find a job here, but there is a language barrier, and even setting up a bank account to be able to get some kind of help through child support or allowances has proved difficult. “A family friend paid for their flights from Poland as a company donation. Refugees are expected to pay for their own flights, but still most have little or no money. “We picked them up from Luton Airport because we did not think it would be easy to access public transport, even though it was supposed to be free for them. “Telephone companies that offer free sim cards with the rest are non-existent. They tell you to go to the branch, they do not know anything about it, so they refer you back to call, who refers you back to the stores. “Now I have ordered sim cards from my provider and we will pay for them.” However, he praised Council Telford & Wrekin, saying: “Council staff contacted us as soon as we were notified that a visa application had been submitted. “They arranged a home inspection, DBS inspections and a gas safety certificate. They also offered help in finding schools for the children.” Pam said she and David had no second thought about giving up comfort and splitting their four-bedroom property to get a Ukrainian family. He said: “We made the decision at the end of February almost as soon as the invasion started and we saw what was happening.” “Our kids are gone and we have the space, so there was no doubt in our minds that we did the right thing – the only concern might have been whether we would continue, but they are wonderful and we enjoy having them with us.”
