*Demyd Yatsenko. Photograph: Joe Buckley
A CLARE man originally from Ukraine has been volunteering as a translator to refugees arriving in Shannon.
Demyd Yatsenko has lived in Co Clare since he was seven years old. A past pupil of St Flannan’s College, the twenty four old originally lived in Ennis before his family relocated to Ballynacally where his parents still reside while he once again is now based in the county town.
His family hail from Chernigov which is in the north of Ukraine, close to the Belarus border. When the Russian troops invaded Ukraine, it was their first city on the way down and has been “badly destroyed,” Demyd lamented.
Over the past few months, his family have been in disbelief as they watched the building force of the Russian troops. “We had been saying to our family in Ukraine to come here, my grandparents have a farm and they didn’t want to leave but it kept building. When it all kicked off, most of our family were still there. We were so worried about them”.
Due to the distress, he was grateful that his employer, Pepper Asset Servicing in Shannon gave him a week off. During this time, Demyd spent up to fifteen hours watching the news, worrying about his family and keeping in regular communication with them and discovering that the streets were they once called home were now in ruins. The Yatsenkos had been planning on returning to Ukraine for a trip in April for the first time in two and a half years, the conflict scuppered their plans and as the violence has worsened, their family have scattered in different locations.
His grandparents have arrived in Co Clare, it is clear to see they are drained from the journey and the turmoil, Demyd admitted. “It is mostly women that have come, they’re completely shook, the men are still fighting, one eight year old boy that I met was so upset and I asked him what was wrong, he said he missed his father and wanted to see him. They are all so shook, the children have been displaced and they don’t know what is happening”. Most of the Ukrainian men are either fighting or volunteering for their country.
In a bid to help, the LIT graduate has begun voluntary work as a translator to assist refugees arriving in Co Clare. He helps to translate the list of items people are looking for and also acted as a guide on the different events organised for the Ukrainian refugees that have taken place in Bunratty. Every evening after work, he is translating different texts with details such as shopping lists and medical supplies. “After work I go to the gym and I box, I look at it like this, I may be the only person in the area with the languages and the IT skills to help and speak the language so I am more than happy to help, they’re coming from war”.
Second and third cousins of Demyd are currently fighting for their country, the view from Ukraine is that Russia is running into economic difficulties and they will struggle to maintain another month of fighting, “Ukraine can sustain it, they are fighting on their own soil. Maybe it will be around May but Russia will run out of money and something will have to happen, anything could happen”.
Warmth shown to the people of Ukraine since arriving in Ireland has been clear to see, the Ennis man said. “The people of Ukraine said they always heard of the kindness of the Irish people. A couple of women were crying with worry, they didn’t expect the extent of how people were willing to give up their time and their homes. They really appreciate how everyone locally and nationally has come together, other European Union countries haven’t helped as much”.
