Two Ukrainian mums share their stories of coming to Stratford district, and how it saved their lives

WHEN Zina Lovha, husband Vlad and their three children came to live in Rebecca and Craig Mander’s Henley home under the Homes for Ukraine scheme in 2022, they had nothing.

The whole community pulled together and donated furniture, toys and clothing.

Almost three years on, the family have a place of their own, Zina has a job and Vlad is a successful carpenter.

The couple’s two sons Vlad Junior, 17 and Peter, 16, are doing well at their studies.

Both did really well at GCSEs, with Vlad was the only pupil at his Henley school to achieve the top grade nine in maths.

The boys are both now at Solihull sixth-form college studying BTECs.

Their younger sister, Elizabeta, who was just four when the family fled to the UK, will be seven in June and is thriving at school.

Zina says: “You wouldn’t know she is Ukrainian, because she speaks English so well, with no accent.

As Zina and Vlad’s parents and Zina’s brother are still in war-torn Ukraine, she worries about their safety.

She said: “I felt guilty about leaving because other people are still there, but I had to keep my children safe.

“The latest news doesn’t make it sound like it will stop soon.

“That’s why I tell my boys they must study and try not to be always worrying about what will happen in Ukraine tomorrow.

“I tell them to pray to God and be thankful for what we have.

“When I wake up each morning, see the sunshine and that everyone is alive, already I am grateful and I have to believe everything will be OK.”

YANA’S STORY: ‘My son is alive because of the UK’

A MUM-OF-TWO says the only reason her eldest son is still alive, is because they were welcomed into the UK.

Yana Hrabovskyi’s 24-year-old son Yaroslav, who has cystic fibrosis, needs constant life-saving medication and care that he can’t get in war-ravaged Ukraine.

Yana, Yaroslav and 12-year-old Vasyl came to live with a host in South Warwickshire three years ago.

She said: “We want to express our deepest and most heartfelt gratitude to the United Kingdom for giving our family shelter during these terrifying times.

“The war has taken everything from us – our home, our stability and our sense of security.

“We were forced to flee into the unknown, and the UK became our lifeline.”

Yana, who’s since moved to Carlisle, added: “Ukrainians continue to face the horrors of explosions, loss, and uncertainty every single day.

“Even far from home, we carry this pain and fear for our loved ones and for our future.

“Over time, we have managed to adapt and integrate into British society – our children attend schools, we have jobs, and we are building new lives.

“We feel supported, we have made friends, and we have slowly started to dream about the future again.

“We are deeply grateful to the United Kingdom for giving us the chance to live in safety, to work, to study, and to be part of this society but we are once again afraid for the future, as the uncertainty surrounding visa extensions weighs heavily on us.

“We pray that the United Kingdom will continue to support Ukrainians. Your kindness is not just assistance – it is salvation.

“We are forever grateful for the safety, the opportunities, and the hope for the future that you have given us.”