From war-torn Ukraine to Louth local elections

KATE KARPENKO WANTS TO GIVE BACK TO ARDEE COMMUNITY WHO GAVE HER SHELTER. HERE SHE TELLS ALISON COMYN HOW SHE WENT FROM DODGING BOMBS AS SHE FLED HER HOME IN CHERNIGOV, TO WANTING TO IMPROVE ROADS FOR HER ADOPTED COUNTY OF LOUTH

KATERINA Karpenko knows a thing or two about challenges, having driven her little car a grueling 1,000km practically non- stop as she fled war- torn home Ukraine two years ago.

Now happily settled in Shanlis, outside Ardee, she will soon face a challenge of a different kind, as she has been selected as the Labour candidate for Mid Louth to contest the forthcoming local elections.

“I had a very happy life in Ukraine; I had my own lovely apartment, had lots of friends, a great job, and lived in a beautiful city, but on February 24, 2022, my life and the lives of millions of Ukrainians changed radically,” explains Katerina, affectionally known as Kate now she lives in Ireland.

“On February 23, I went to bed in a peaceful country, and woke up to the sounds of war. I will never forget that morning. It was hard to believe that the war had started.

“And at that moment the only thing that mattered was who stood by you, because people suffered both physically and mentally.

“I will never forget how we shared food, gasoline, how we stayed in the basement and prayed trying to survive while our city Chernigov was bombed. When I realised that it was too dangerous to stay in the town, the decision was made to leave it.”

Kate and a few friends and their family members packed up what they could in three cars – including her two pet dogs Honda and Jackie - and decided to head for the border with Hungary, over 1,000 kilometres away.

“There was only one bridge connecting the city, and they kept trying to bomb it, so we knew we didn’t have much time,” she says.

“On March 8, we left at 9am, but we were not the only ones, and we could barely move in the traffic.

“We could already see Russian tanks on the other side of the bridge and could hear bombs going off in the distance – it was totally surreal. It was like seeing tanks coming down Castle Street in Ardee. You just couldn’t believe it was happening.”

Kate says she wasn’t really scared, as she just focused on what she had to do.

“I had people relying on me so the adrenaline just took over, and I drove and drove, even when I should have been exhausted,” she explained. “We had to take diesel with us in the car as there were shortages along the way, and we just stopped once, but I wanted to keep going, even though my eyes were so sore with tiredness.”

Kate says she doesn’t want to talk about some of the atrocities they witnessed along the way, but she is still feeling the effects today.

“It was a long and difficult journey, but I felt responsible for the people and animals I took with me. Not going into details, but I saw cars and people shot by Russian soldiers,” she recalls. “My friends asked me how they can help me on the drive, and I said just pray.”

After a 21-hour journey, the refugees arrived on the border with Hungary, but it was soon clear that this was not going to be their last stop.

“So many people were fleeing here, soon there were no jobs, and nowhere to live, as rents were being put up way too high; it seems some people see opportunities even in war,” she says with disappointment in her voice. “So, some of my friends decided to go to Germany but I had heard from one of my friends who had gone to Ireland, and they said it was a very friendly and welcoming place.”

But before Kate could decide her next step, she had to Google Ireland!

“I am going to be honest, I wasn’t even sure where it was and I didn’t know anything about the country,” she laughs. “It was important for me to have a friend, or some support, as it is hard when you are alone.

“So I booked a flight from Budapest to Dublin on May 14 2022, and I didn’t know what to expect.”

Kate had to leave her doggies with her friends, had left her parents – both doctors – in Ukraine and didn’t know one person on the flight, so it was with some trepidation she landed at Dublin Airport.

“But you know people could not have been more helpful or welcoming,” she says. “It was still very surreal, and when I landed, I was met by a family who had registered with the Red Cross and they brought me back to their home in Shanlis, where I still am now.”

Kate has a Master’s Degree in Science and Sociology, and always had a keen interest in politics, working for the American Charity Foundation when she was a student.

“When my father became a Deputy of the local council I was involved in his election campaign as his assistant and after graduating from the institute, I worked at the headquarters of the Batkivshchyna party, led by Yulia Tymoshchenko, the Prime Minister of Ukraine (2007-2010).

“The work at the party headquarters taught me the necessary skills of working with people’s needs, the ability to listen, and resolve issues”.

One of the greatest surprises for Kate when she was settling in Ireland was the financial assistance she received.

“In my country, you don’t get any money unless you work for it, so when I registered first and they gave me €200, I asked what I must do to earn it?” she explains.

“In my life, I have always been independent, and while I was grateful for the help, I feel people can get too comfortable if they are given money like that, so I feel people must work for it.”

It didn’t take Kate long to find work and become more independent in her new home.

“Almost immediately I started to think how I could be useful for this country. After a few days, I knocked at the doors of the NCBI charity shop in Ardee and said I wanted to volunteer.

“I’m happy that the staff of the store has become my second family. I volunteered at the store for six months, and now I’m a staff member and two more Ukrainians also work here now”.

A few months ago, Kate learned that Ukrainians would have the right to vote in the upcoming local elections and this got her thinking was there more she could do in her new community.

“I studied the programs of the parties and candidates; the ideas of the Labour Party are close to me, so I contacted (Louth Labour TD) Ged Nash and I asked was there anything I could do to help out,” she says. “But he said he would like to meet me, and I couldn’t believe it, as in Ukraine, politicians are way above everyone else!”

Instead of seeking her help, Deputy Nash asked Kate would she like to make a difference herself and after a week, she decided she might follow in her father’s footsteps on the local council!

“I said I will try; not only for Ukrainian community but for the whole local community.

“You live in your house, and you want to make it safe and comfortable. I know a lot of people now, from Ardee, from Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova, and we all want the same thing, to work and try our best”.

Kate says she is sure her experience will be useful and will benefit the local community, which has done a lot for Ukrainians.

“Since the beginning of the war, Irish people opened their homes and hearts to Ukrainian families. I have been lucky to live in one of such families and Ireland has become my home,” she says with a smile.

“I am interested in hiking and kayaking and I’m a certified Nordic walking trainer. Since I’ve been here, we climbed Croagh Patrick mountain twice, raising the Ukrainian and Irish flags on top.

“This year we are planning to climb Carrauntoohil, the highest mountain in Ireland.

“I’m running Nordic walking groups in Ardee and Drumcar and I’m happy that Irish people have been joining our Nordic walking club and I’m grateful to them for their enthusiasm and support. I believe it’s a great way to integrate”.

Kate is looking forward to getting out and about during canvassing to meet more of her community and getting stuck into local issues.

“I have so many ideas about local tourism, about tackling the problem of stray animals here, and we have big problems with traffic in the town,” she says. “I have a lot of worries still about my own family’s safety, and Gerry from my Irish family flew to Ukraine with me recently and was shocked at how destroyed my city was.

“I am so grateful to him and to the Ardee community, and now it’s our turn to be useful and to prove our appreciation by being active members of the community”.