Sowing seeds of peace: Ukrainians will have own garden in Offaly

A GARDEN of Peace and Produce will be established in Tullamore by the Ukrainian community.

The garden, which will be located on the grounds of the National Learning Network, will enable Ukrainians to grow food in a polytunnel.

When Ukrainians were asked what they required during their extended stay in Offaly, gardening and cooking emerged as hobbies and activities which were key priorities for them.

A survey was organised by Deirdre Fox, manager of the Offaly Volunteer Centre in Tullamore, which is home to the Ukraine Hub, 'Sonyashnyk' (Sunflower) free shop and support service.

Many of those who fled the war and arrived in Tullamore have been staying in the Central Hotel (across the street from a Lidl store) since March last year.

“There are people in the hotel... that have plants 'that size' growing in their rooms... They get plants from Lidl which are going out of date and bring them back to life,” said Deirdre.

“They're going to be in the polytunnel every day, every afternoon and Saturdays and Sundays. They're going to produce for Tullamore Tidy Towns and perhaps, eventually they might produce for their own market.”

The Offaly Volunteer Centre has linked up with Tullamore Tidy Towns for the project and help is being provided by horticulturalist Mark Sheehy. €3,000 was provided through the Offaly County Council Healthy Ireland Fund.

Because hundreds of Ukrainians are living in hotels and guest houses where they do not have access to their own kitchens, they need somewhere to cook and the Volunteer Centre is working with the Tullamore Family and Community Resource Centre to provide facilities.

English language classes have been established in the Ukraine Hub with the help of Tullamore Lions Club.

Initially rooms on Bury Quay were provided free by Offaly History and following the receipt of €15,000 in funding from Irish Red Cross, the Ukraine Hub's continued occupation of the premises is guaranteed for a year.

A grant from the Community Foundation of Ireland facilitated the recruitment of support worker Ernest Cherenkov.

Minister of State Pippa Hackett employed Ukrainian man Vlas Novokhatnii as a parliamentary assistant and his work was also crucial.

The Ukraine Hub has been very busy. “We have had 600 callers from December 6 to January 30. They've come from Shannonbridge, Birr, Edenderry, Clonaslee, Mountmellick, Kilbeggan,” said Deirdre. “We had four people who arrived in here from Boyle in October. We underestimate the connections they have with each other.”

Though the public have been extremely supportive with donations of goods, a renewed appeal has gone out for personal hygiene items.

A local bike shop run by Donagh McArdle has provided bicycles, especially for children, and Tullamore-based medical tech company Steris supported a pre-Christmas party for about 400 Ukrainians in Charleville Castle, along with a Tullamore donor who wishes to remain anonymous.

“And we had Constantin, the barman in the Brewery Tap, as Santa Claus and had a shuttle bus run to it,” explained Deirdre.

The Volunteer Centre and hub have been able to draw on local expertise and experience from people like Molly Buckley who have been campaigning for other causes over the years.

Deirdre pointed out that a previous link with Ukraine from the late 1980s has also helped: “A lot of the families here that took children from Chernobyl have now taken them back in as adults and they are bringing their own children. We work very closely with host families and with accommodation providers.”

In Geashill, a local group set up three mobile homes to house families and some of the children are attending the school in the village.

“Everybody supports each other. There is a fantastic network,” Deirdre said.

The Ukrainians have been proactive in fundraising themselves. They made €2,500 by selling handcrafted goods at the Tullamore Christmas market and the money was sent to Ukraine for the purchase of a vehicle to help with the relief effort there.

Deirdre learned that some Ukrainians are distraught that much of their home country has been reduced to ruins.

A meeting was organised with Tullamore Credit Union and one person asked: “If I sell my house in Ukraine will you give me a mortgage here?”