A young Ukrainian woman has found a new life in rural Donegal and a new job in the local tourism industry.
Julia Kozachenko arrived from the war-torn region last September but has immersed herself in Irish life.
She recently landed herself a job as a tour guide at Fanad Lighthouse.
And the multilingual young professional is looking forward to giving tours of the fabulous facility in both English and her native Ukrainian.
And she just couldn’t hide her love for Fanad and its people.
Julia said “I am from Ukraine, down south, the city is called Mykolaiv and I arrived here in September and absolutely love Fanad. People here are brilliant, they are very friendly and helpful.
“I like this job over here because it’s a great experience for me to exchange a bit of culture and learn things for myself and give the information to other people; so, I just love it!”
Julia admits that she has sad and happy days since arriving in Ireland with her family but says she feels welcomed as well as safe and protected.
She added “And I am thankful to all the amazing people who helped me, supported me, and stay with me on my sad and happy days.
“I am thankful to this land, country, and people who welcome me and my family. It is a pleasure to know that we can feel comfortable here, safe and protected.
“I am surrounded by peace, kindness, and love of wonderful Irish people. May God protect and bless this country and the Irish people.”
Julia’s new colleagues at the lighthouse are also delighted to have her on board.
A quick mention on the lighthouse’s Facebook page said “Big welcome to our newest member of staff Julia. Multilingual and now a very happy resident in Fanad, Julia will be available to do our tours in Ukrainian.”
