Overherd talks to GI Lab Coordinator Bogdan Chaus about the conflict in his home country of Ukraine and his hopes for peace

Ukrainian Bogdan Chaus is a Glanbia Ireland colleague who has worked at our Belview plant since 2016 as a Production Specialist and for the past two years as a Lab Coordinator. Bogdan, his mother and his brother moved to Waterford 15 years ago to be reunited with his father who had been living in the city for two years previously.

Originally from Melitopol in the southeast of Ukraine, the city was one of the first to be occupied by Russian forces at the start of the conflict. Bogdan told Overherd that “Russian troops were quiet enough at the beginning, allowing peaceful protests by Ukrainians against the invasion, but as time went on, they started to use ‘flash-bang’ smoke grenades and began shooting at the feet of protesters. After that, Russian patrols ramped up across the city, all Ukrainian symbols began to be taken down and shops with Ukrainian ads were broken into – the Russian forces are trying to eliminate everything Ukrainian.”

Bogdan’s home city is located between the already annexed Crimea region of Ukraine and the heavily disputed Donbas region, which Russia is laying claim to. Communications with his many friends and family members living in the area have been sparse, with no internet or phone connection for days, leading to anxious periods for Bogdan’s family as they wait to hear news from home. Bogdan told us that both his grandmothers are still in Melitopol along with aunts, uncles and many cousins. “My aunt and her daughter are currently trying to evacuate the city but we have no connection with them, so we don’t know if they’ve escaped or are they still waiting on the humanitarian convoy. Some of my relatives are staying put for different reasons, for example my aunts on either side of the family are staying to take care of my grandmothers who are quite ill, while I have an uncle who is head of the evangelical church in the city – he won’t leave his congregation.”

Thankfully, some of Bogdan’s family have managed to escape the conflict. “My dad’s cousins from Donetsk managed to escape and they are currently in Waterford, staying with my parents. Also, my mother’s best friend’s daughter is staying with them having left Kyiv two weeks ago – it took her seven days to reach Waterford by bus and train.” Speaking of the fantastic community spirit amongst Ukrainians and the people of Waterford, Bogdan told us how emotional it was for everyone involved in the recent St. Patrick’s Day parade. “As we were walking in the parade, everyone had tears in their eyes. We were overwhelmed with the support of the Irish people.”

Although he holds hope for a quick resolution to the conflict, defending the sovereignty of his country is paramount for Bogdan. “Thousands of people have died already and cities have been destroyed, so I understand peace is needed. However, I do not want this peace to only last for a couple of years and for this to happen again. We need strong allies with Ukraine to ensure the peace is kept.”

Bogdan closed the interview with Overherd by saying, “a massive thank you to colleagues in GI and the Irish people for their support of the Ukrainian community in Ireland, the people fleeing and the people still in Ukraine. Immediately the people of Ireland were fast to act in their support, not just financially and with donations of food and clothes, but with their moral support, thoughts, words and prayers.”

Over €14,000 raised by GI in support of Ukraine

Since Glanbia Ireland’s Ukrainian fundraiser was launched last month, over €14,000 has been generously donated by GI employees, our friends and family and our farming community.  The fundraiser is still open and all money raised will go towards supporting UNICEF’s humanitarian efforts on the ground in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, which are dealing with the flood of refugees across their borders.

Simply scan the QR code below or click here to make a donation.

WEBINAR: ‘Helping kids manage their anxiety and discover your own coping strategies during unsettling times’

As part of Glanbia Ireland’s programme of wellbeing events, last week Terri Kruschke from MONERE Development Services presented on the topic of “Helping kids manage their anxiety and discover your own coping strategies during unsettling times.”

Whether it’s the war in Ukraine, the effects of climate change or the impact of Covid, children can be particularly affected by these events and many parents can find it difficult to answer their questions and help ease anxieties.
If you’ve noticed that your own feelings have been triggered by recent events and/or your kids are expressing or showing signs of anxiety, some coping strategies might help you through this period.

If you’d like to get a better understanding of how parents can manage their own anxiety, as well as how to talk through difficult issues with children, please watch the webinar recording below.