Just a year ago, Oksana Khisamedinova, her husband and her daughter Valeriia, originally from the city of Kherson, Ukraine, settled in Quebec. Smiling, mother and daughter told us their story.
Before even starting the interview, Valeriia proudly hands us a letter, which she wrote alone, in French. A letter in which she explains how much she enjoyed her year in Quebec. “Sorry, I was not able to correct the mistakes! laughs Oksana, in English.
“Hello, my name is Valeriia, I am Ukrainian. […] I want to tell everyone that when you go to a new school, you don’t have to think that you won’t befriend anyone,” his handwritten letter read.
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, THE PRESS
Valeria’s letter
Valeriia’s new school is Saint-Maxime high school in Laval. A place that the 16-year-old girl is very fond of. A place where she made many new friends.
From the outset, she recounts with excitement the first time she visited the school: “The rows of lockers, the yellow school buses, it’s exactly like in American movies! “, she says.
It is also in the courtyard of the Saint-Maxime school that we met Valeriia and Oksana.
Their bond is palpable, and their good humor is contagious. Valeriia was crowned by her teacher “the most optimistic person” in her reception class. It’s not hard to believe at all.
What is surprising, however, is the ease with which she expresses herself in French, so soon after her arrival in Quebec. “I always speak French in class! “, she assures us.
Oksana also learns French, part-time. The rest of the time, she works to support her family. “I can’t say it’s easy,” she explains, still smiling. But I’m not giving up, I have to stay strong. »
A special story
The family was not in Ukraine when the war broke out, but in Poland. Oksana worked for the Ukrainian army for a long time. About three years before the first bombs fell, she began to hear through the branches that relations between Russia and Ukraine were souring. She then left the army, and Ukraine, with her husband and daughter.
Thanks to their Ukrainian passport, they were able to benefit from the special program entitled “Canada-Ukraine Emergency Travel Authorization”, which allowed them to obtain a temporary residence visa as well as a three-year work visa.
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
Valeria Kyselova
A few days after their arrival from Poland, a volunteer put them in touch with a Quebec host family who wanted to help newcomers from Ukraine.
This family is that of Zandra Balbinot, Thomas Leblond and their two children. They hosted Valeria and her parents for a few weeks before they took off.
“Oksana is super resourceful,” says Zandra in a telephone interview.
We were struck by the resilience of the family. They never let themselves down. Every day is a challenge, but they persevere.
Zandra Balbinot, who welcomed Valeriia and her parents for a few weeks
The main obstacle encountered by Oksana and her husband, and by the vast majority of Ukrainians who have settled in Quebec, is the language barrier. Luckily, Oksana learned English while at university more than 25 years ago. But her husband does not speak French or English.
“It’s very difficult to find a good job in these circumstances,” says Oksana. But we are ready to work anywhere, to do anything. »
Pay it forward
Zandra and Thomas helped Oksana and her husband a lot to find jobs, apartments.
The Ukrainian community has also played a very important role in the integration of newcomers. “A Ukrainian church was able to provide them with a computer, a microwave oven,” explains Thomas.
Thomas and Zandra’s daughter, Carolina, who speaks very good English, took Valeriia in very quickly. “She spent hours chatting with her, she wanted to teach her French,” says Zandra proudly.
In turn, Valeriia was also keen to help the more shy students in her class adjust. She took under her wing a classmate from Vietnam who had more difficulty fitting in.
In her wildest dreams, Valeriia would even like to learn to speak Spanish fluently. “You could find yourself a amiga who will teach you! laughs Oksana to her daughter.
No question of returning to live in Ukraine for Valeriia’s family. “We finally feel safe,” says Oksana. We feel lucky, we are happy. I feel that we can offer a bright future to Valeriia. »