\u201cI watched in disbelief in February 2022 as the news about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine rolled in, and I wanted to do something. My husband Mark and I discussed fostering or supporting refugees. We had the space. We had the willingness. So, when we heard about the Homes for Ukraine<\/a> scheme, it felt like the right time to act.\u201d<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n Katie, Mark, Harry and Kara<\/p>\n (Image credit: Kara Dexter)<\/p>\n \u201cYet we also had to consider how our children Katie and Harry, aged 16 and 14 at the time, would feel having a stranger living in their home \u2013 especially as Harry was very shy and Katie was in her final year of school. Thankfully, though, they were wonderfully supportive of the idea.<\/p>\n “I saw a message on a local Facebook group from someone in need of bedding<\/a> and phones for a Ukrainian they were hosting. I got in touch with this family to ask if the lady staying with them, Oksana, had any family members who needed help.<\/p>\n “That\u2019s how we became introduced to Svitlana and her daughter, Kate \u2013 Oksana\u2019s 40-year-old sister and 18-year-old niece who lived in the small city of Vinnytsia in central Ukraine.\u201d<\/p>\n Moving in<\/p>\n (Image credit: Svitlana Svichar)<\/p>\n \u201cWe had some video calls together, for everyone\u2019s peace of mind, and by May 27th, they were on their way to start a new life with us. It must have been so daunting for them, especially as I had to be away when they arrived. Mark picked them up from the airport and got them settled, so they were putting their trust in a man they barely knew.<\/p>\n “Two days later, despite the language barrier, we instantly felt like friends when we met. Very quickly, it felt like we were family. We all knew very early on that one day we\u2019d all be together at any potential future weddings<\/a> of our children.<\/p>\n \u201cWe made it clear that our home was also Svitlana\u2019s and Kate\u2019s home. They had an en-suite room to share and complete freedom to join us anywhere in the house, or not at all.<\/p>\n “At first, they kept to themselves a lot, watching Ukrainian TV upstairs and wanting to stay connected to home. Over time, things shifted. Svitlana started joining me for tea, staying for chats, and asking questions about the English language. It never felt awkward.<\/p>\n “The only change I made to my life is that now I never wear my pyjamas downstairs!\u201d<\/p>\n Settling in<\/p>\n Svitlana and Kara on the cake stall<\/p>\n (Image credit: Kara Dexter)<\/p>\n \u201cJust three weeks after her arrival, Svitlana started a job in a local office, having been warmly welcomed by the community in our village, Holmes Chapel in Cheshire.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Kate had been able to transfer her studies from the Ivan Frankl National University of Lviv to online until she moved to Lithuania a few months later for university. \u201cShe\u2019s now studying for a Master\u2019s degree there and comes home to us during the holidays,\u201d says Kara.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/QdFfzvSsgWV28sbinTqK6R.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Kate](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/KRrdW5qdVHNhN6BPU96F2R.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Svitlana](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/3w3RgeVjXyWjPxo66SzUyQ.jpg\")
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