24-year-old Kateryna Murenko always planned on becoming a lawyer, but now she teaches children the English language in the Ukrainian center. Through her job she found a new sense of purpose and a joy for the smaller things in life.
“Teaching wasn’t something I had planned for myself, I really wanted to be a lawyer. Our father decided to give us an other opportunity to be safer. It wasn’t our own choice. I had planned my whole future in Ukraine.”
“After everything changed, teaching felt like the right path. I love seeing how grateful the children are for the lessons. They give me little gifts, drawings, and cards, it warms my heart. My mom always said that children can change how you see the world. They find joy in the simplest things.”
“I discovered the Ukrainian center while searching for a new job. It’s been a wonderful opportunity for me to support the children I now teach. I understand what they’re going through. My younger sister moved to Finland when she was thirteen, and she struggled emotionally because she was far from our parents.”
“I grew up in a small town in the Dnipro region with a big family. There are eleven of us – two sisters and six brothers. Sadly, one of my brothers passed away a year and a half ago. I’m grateful to have been raised in such a big family, it taught me the true meaning of supporting one another.”
“My family is now spread across the world. My parents still live in Ukraine, it’s too difficult for them to start over in another country. Two of my brothers also stayed in Ukraine, one of whom now has a big family of his own. Two of my other brothers live in Canada, and the rest are here in Finland, close to me. I see my brother here in Finland three times a week. It means a lot to have someone nearby. I really miss our family gatherings, we used to have them often back in Ukraine.”
“Helsinki is a good place to live because it offers a lot of opportunities. There’s always something to do, even Ukrainian events. The first time I visited a cinema they played Ukrainian cartoons about growing and moving forward. I had just lost my boyfriend, so I was in a painful place. It motivated me to keep going during those difficult times. Every day you choose what kind of person you want to be.”
Thanks to the Ukrainian Association of Finland
Written by Caro Storms
Photo by Mara Andrea Țuică
