By Chloe Gibson

A general surgeon who treated injured soldiers in Ukraine is among a group of refugees currently learning English at North West Regional College.

Maryina from Kharkiv, treated soldiers and civilians at the border when the war became more intense, often carrying out vital operations and bullets and rockets echoed in the background. Maryina was one of a number of students who shared their stories with iNews.

“Noise all the time. It was all the time at night, at day it was all the time I couldn’t sleep. One day when I worked several rockets went through a university for cadets.”

Things became so dangerous, with people dying around her every day, that she was forced to move with her family from Kharkiv to west Ukraine. Shortly after this, she fled to Poland, but with no money she and a friend moved to Derry in May.

Now she is working with Foyle Friends of Ukraine’s help, helping nearly 80 people who have been forced relocate.

“I feel that they [Foyle friends of Ukraine] do really important things for Ukrainians,” Mariyna said.

Maryina ultimately hopes to resume practice as a surgeon in Northern Ireland. However, to do so, she needs to complete multiple exams. She hopes to complete these in the future, but at one stage at a time.

“My first step is to learn English. It’s difficult to me because I never learned English before, in school I just learned French.”

Among her fellow students is computer science student, Yulianna. She now creates content on a freelance basis. Mariia, an English teacher, also works with Foyle Friends of Ukraine since moving to Derry.