Sasha Kurova from Ukraine helps new Ukrainians settle in Longford.
Oleksandra or Sasha Kurova from Dnipro described growing up in the cultural centre of Ukraine, which is a country known for its folk songs. After secondary school, she joined the Protestant Church and sang in a Christian rock band. Sasha took locksmith training and then worked at a rubber plant. She got married and had two girls but also studied engineering at university, got very interested in sewing and doll-making, and became the bookkeeper for her husband’s thriving business. When the war broke, she volunteered in providing Ukrainian soldiers with medical supplies. She took the opportunity to get on a train to Poland when the wife of his husband’s friend decided to stay in Ukraine. Sasha picked Ireland over Canada and UK because she was fascinated by the books she read about Ireland’s magical world of fairies and leprechauns. She admired the greenness of Ireland, the welcoming and accepting Irish community, the architecture of Longford and the similarities between Ukraine and Ireland’s history. She lived at Longford Arms for 6 months and then moved to a lovely Irish family. She has integrated in Longford by leading a choir and helping Ukrainians at Longford Community Resources.
