From WXXI news.

This is Connections.

I'm Evan Dawson.

Our connection this hour was made on December 5th, 2022, when Ukraine used Long-Range drones to strike military targets deep inside Russian territory.

For the first time, Ukraine was targeting air bases in the Saratov and Ryazan regions.

This strike sent a powerful signal to Russian leadership if they wanted to continue their invasion of Ukraine, the war would be long.

Ukraine would fight back and Ukraine was quickly becoming an international leader in the technology of warfare.

This hour, we begin by welcoming members of the open world delegation from Ukraine.

They are visiting the United States, hoping to build a partnership that will share not only technological expertise during wartime, but they hope we'll look ahead to a postwar world.

While many people are racing to develop technology for current and future battlefields, my guests are thinking about sharing knowledge for peace.

They're visiting on their own free will.

But many Ukrainians have fled their country.

Since Russia's invasion, the Rochester region has seen a growing number of Ukrainian refugees coming here.

And later this hour, we will meet one of the refugees.

We will also talk to leaders of an organization that has formed here to help them.

But first, I want to welcome participants in the open World program who are visiting Rochester from Ukraine.

Mariia Yurina is head of international relations at Protégées Foundation and a facilitator of the Open World Program under the Congressional Office for International Leadership.

Welcome.

Thank you for being here, Mariia.

Hi.

Thank you for having us.

And let me welcome as well as any of our how.

Doctor Verhal is deputy director of the Educational and Research Institute of Information Technologies and Robotics, the National University Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic.

Doctor Bahar, welcome.

Thank you for being here.

Yeah.

Thank you for inviting us.

And let me thank as well.

Sergey Vladislav is an open world interpreter.

Sergey.

Thank you.

I know you're going to be here for the hour.

We appreciate your skills being here.

And you'll hear.

Sir, he's voice interpreting for Kseniia in this first half hour.

Let me start with Mariia, who is the facilitator of the open world program for this delegation.

Tell us what the Open world program is aiming to accomplish.

Why are you in Rochester at.

First of all, it's a big pleasure to be here today and to speak about Ukraine and especially about our work within the program.

Open world, Open World program works under the Congressional Office for International Leadership.

It's a great, program that provides an opportunity to bring young professionals from different countries across the Europe to the United States, get new context to set new partnerships, and, of course, share experience that we have and get some knowledge from American experience as well.

So the aim is to help people connect, to make the connections, and to have influence and some positive changes across the globe.

Who have you been seeing in Rochester so far?

So we arrived to Rochester on Friday last Friday, and we already, got productive meetings and spent some time with government representatives.

We were to city council and then to, Monroe County and with some university has meeting with the universities.

And we really appreciate this opportunity because, actually all of the meetings were very much productive.

We were talking about some concrete steps, how we can support each other in, development if we are talking about universities and setting some partnership and supporting businesses, if we are talking about some government relations, and that is it has very, productive, impact for us.

So, Mariia, what you are describing sounds, for lack of better word, normal, different countries around the world have partnerships.

They talk about sharing business innovations.

They share technologies.

But I wonder how different this kind of a trip is, because it's during war time and so much of the focus is on the war, surviving the war, using sometimes technology for the purposes of surviving the war, fighting back against Russia.

So how much of this trip is focused on just the business of dealing with the war?

Yeah.

So our cities across Ukraine, they already have dozens of partnership with different, European cities and some of the states because of their sister city associations.

But nevertheless, Ukraine faces a lot of challenges now because of their full scale invasion and, ongoing war.

And we are, continue doing and continue working on potential collaborations with different partners, especially in the United States.

We value your experience that you have, for example, in veteran policy and business support and encouraging new, businesses coming to the US.

And we would like to get better.

The your work.

How did you do that?

Your maybe some instrument and toolbox and of course American colleagues share it with us.

And we really hope that when we will come back to Ukraine after this trip, we can implement some initiatives so we can try to use some instruments that you already use it here and have success while you yourself, I know you have a partnership already, you're the head of, we talked about Protez.

You're the head of global partnerships at the Protez Foundation.

That's an international charitable foundation that is, helping Ukrainian civilians, military personnel, children, children need prosthetic care.

I mean, this is not an easy thing to think about, but can you describe, for example, when we read that you're helping kids access high quality prosthetic care?

Tell me about that.

Yes.

This is a very special, topic for me.

And I'm proud to be of the team of the Protez Foundation.

We were founded in 2022, in Minnesota, in Oakdale and we realized that, unfortunately, hundreds and then thousands, of Ukrainians, they need prosthetics and prosthetic care.

So we were because they've been injured in the war?

Yes, because of the results of the war.

Yeah.

And then we opened the prosthetic center in Kyiv, in the heart of the, Ukraine and its capital on Shattuck Street.

And we are providing prosthetics and prosthetic care, long term care for free for them.

We have team here in Minnesota, and we bring Ukrainian veterans, civilians and children to the Minnesota.

When that, when there is complicated case and we realize that we have no and of potential and expertise to provide prosthetics in Ukraine.

So we work closely with empathy with different donor organizations, with people who support us.

And we are able to bring those patients, those Ukrainians, to the Minnesota, to Minnesota to have a prosthetic center there and, provide them all necessary aid.

We already provided more than 2500s of procedures and more than 1600 patients already got, support, you know, prosthetics from our foundation.

Unfortunately, the number of patients who needs prosthesis and the, they have amputees, right?

The the number is growing up.

It's really, difficult to say about that and even realize it, but the number of people is growing.

The number of children, it is growing so fast that we understand we should, you know, make, make as much as possible, do whatever is possible from our side to help those, those people.

I mean, I'm so glad you're able to do that, but it's horrifying that it is necessary.

And I don't want to ask you a question.

I don't want to ask either of you a question that feels too political.

That's not fair to you.

But I have to tell you that in recent weeks, when I watched the American administration's delegation meeting with Vladimir Putin and then meeting with Zelensky, and then you heard Jared Kushner say that we need to be able to help both sides accomplish their goals, that there can be win win here, that everyone has reasonable goals.

And within hours of Kushner leaving Kyiv, there were missile strikes hitting civilian targets.

Some of the prosthetics that you're talking about, some for children, might have been used within 24 hours after Jared Kushner left and saying that Vladimir Putin and reasonable goals.

And I wonder what that is like for you to hear that when it's been almost five years of war.

So we are standing for democracy.

You know, you can't buy freedom, you can't borrow it.

You can only fight for that.

And we young people, all the other Ukrainian nation, we do realize it, of course, we had some hope, you know, and some fade that somebody will come and help us.

But the thing is that the only you have is to do to fight, to stand with the Ukrainian army, to support them, to support, wounded, military personnel, women and children, you know, to help IDPs.

And for those who cannot, come back to the army, for example, because of traumas, you must help them with, reintegration to give them work.

You know, and all of the things for and regain them normal life as it was before the they served.

We are doing what is possible from our side.

We appreciate any support that we are getting from different countries, including the United States.

And I must say that actually, we are very much grateful to Americans because they are very much supportive American nation, Americans.

They donate the American people, American people, I mean, yes, they donate.

Then they send him in turn aid.

They are, publish, some information.

The true not propaganda, but the true on their social media and every single action.

And they is supporting the democracy in Ukraine and showing the realities of the war in Ukraine is helpful for us.

So of course, there is some, party and, such, you know, things that are happening and some narratives that are around, but we are still standing and Zs only what do we have?

I'm grateful.

From Protez Foundation to all of American people because they are supporting very much for us, too.

They donate, and because of their support, we can provide free prosthetics and we focus on concrete steps.

That's what keeps us.

My guests are from the Open World program, and you're hearing Mariia Yurina, who is head of international relations at Protégées Foundation and the facilitator of the Open World program under the Congressional Office for International Leadership.

They've been visiting Rochester since last Friday, and I want to turn to her colleague, Doctor Kseniia Verhal.

And I want to start by asking, you are a project manager at a Ukrainian university.

You've been involved in initiatives related to technology and innovation, and I know that you can't talk about all of the projects related to military or dual use technology.

I know you've signed confidentiality agreements, but I do want to discuss something that is directly related to your expertise.

And I want to start by asking you if it is difficult to envision a Ukraine that is not at war with Russia, a Ukraine that can focus on doing the kind of project work you're doing now but for strictly peaceful purposes, is that hard to imagine?

I can see the, darkness.

So I am or.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Yes.

Unfortunately, under current day conditions, you know, there is a duality to our life.

So, Nobuko, I'm not sure.

I wrote in my text over you.

You saw me with you.

I am not.

On the one hand, each family has a member or several members who are the war.

And we feel the consequences of the war first hand.

The essential work on my mind.

They energy and I am.

I, on the other hand, will have children.

And we have, you know, a lot of hopes about their bright future.

The that's an ambitious with new memory here.

Our university is the largest educational establishment in our part of the country.

The more you come in the door, what the you do for you?

Can you, So it is up to us to pave the way for the future development?

Not sure administrative question of it.

I, another you suggest me a laboratory?

Shibani.

Also, Charles.

Nikolai.

We keep launching, state of the art labs, under the umbrella of our universities.

Try, trying to address the challenges of, this time.

Yeah, here they come.

Program is just for Kabul.

I'm the author of the idea of creating a digital hub that are now implementing Yaki Rossum's national partner.

I mentioned National University Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic diploma, higher Malinois, animal business supervisor.

And the goal is to help our small and medium sized businesses to transfer to the digital world.

Consultant Mona.

Vinicky of key key, roles with quality knowledge.

So will you provide consultancy?

You will help them, with the cyber security.

We teach them skills that are needed in the 21st century.

Laptop sensor notebook of the new miRNAs, where, images are a much more natural diagnostic for mobile to demonstrate Cobra.

So this is a long term project that will serve Ukraine both during the war and hopefully in the future, in peaceful times.

MacBook Pro Roberto Camacho, Economic Yousif Riverside so we have to take care of our economy.

And bringing it to the digital world is one of the most important tasks, not just student tunnel project, speed training here, workshop, associated with business, pristine or common.

You covered the question on what they were trying to engage business and public at large, you know, arrange all sorts of seminars and workshops.

We want everybody to keep pace with times and the drone technology and, this region, you, for instance, drone technologies, can be used in a number of, peaceful purposes, for instance, in the geological research.

Other question, architecture are they're very good for architecture, for rebuilding our, you know, housing, you know, in construction projects, under a microscope does not in a prison optimize actually do.

So we always talk about dual purpose is not just military research, but keeping peaceful life in mind as a priority.

I think so much of the world attention when it comes to drone technology is on the kind of videos that probably you have seen that has caused horror.

Drones that are targeting individual civilians.

And that's very hard to look at.

But what I want to understand from your perspective is I think the world has been very impressed with how strong Ukraine has been, not only defending themselves in the war, but the use of technology, both in war and to rebuild the country.

Is this a situation that was this was Ukraine always on a very strong technological track because of the work that perhaps you or your colleagues were doing long before the war?

Or has the war accelerated the focus on technology within Ukraine and focus on your work?

And I think my lawyer, was actually brought to criticize the creative, the Nazi.

Historically, we have always been a very creative people, who came to my mind or Soviet, sweet news novel.

In addition to that, yeah.

Our educational base is pretty strong.

Don't we just live there now?

I'm a, in particular in sciences and technology.

I was watching those are those who said some are not useful to them.

I am aware of the natural world, but obviously, the focus of attention is on, technologies these days.

There is no, any other way, because we need to do things faster and better than our enemy.

Actually have to do with this novel in the, tomorrow triple budget this year.

Not sure if changes in nature with Covid.

Now it's, those canal with the Navy telecommute.

It's an assumption they put olive on Nova crystal, which, But no, no, Ukraine is not such a rich country.

And our scientists and researchers try to make the most with what they've got, you know, with what we inherited, probably even if, some of the equipment is obsolete.

But we try to adjust them to bring in, you know, new ideas and make most of these developments.

And so what have you been gaining from this American partnership?

What do you hope comes out of this trip to the United States to put the rest of the matter, Vallarta, question Ukraine of the US put it there.

Sure.

Another show Ukraine sees bright the moral issue it show such Americans.

Well, first of all, I was very much impressed by, the local Ukrainian diaspora and how much they're doing.

But not just Ukrainians, you know, regular Americans.

We were very warmly greeted here.

And they are doing a lot, with, to, speak at the anniversary university, I would say, and unfortunately, we want to establish, links to your universities.

That is of paramount importance to us when you speak like those Legion would be next to.

They were very much interested in joint research.

And then students exchange.

I'll buy Chile those with a Wireshark.

When you go to Puerto, which is with the number, we also can learn a lot from your university's experience in working with veterans of Russia.

University of Miami, even those with the vegetable of Vietnam.

There are a lot of things that we can learn from you.

And at the same time, we've made some pretty significant advances.

So we think that this exchange can be beneficial to both sides.

Now let's share for each now rehabilitate the Algerian, Iraqi, mental illness, not only in the field of, physical rehabilitation, but also in the field of reintegrating, discharged military personnel into civilian life.

The family, I was watching miserable Vlad the night, also of interest us, were meetings with our local government bodies.

Yeah.

But, my would be proactive with that, and, Mrs.

Nostrum, perhaps, we can establish some good contacts between people and local governments.

That would be a win win situation for everybody, which has a channel that deals with.

Although to me personally, it's education and research.

I mean, do you want to add, Mariia to the the benefit of meeting some of these local leaders and what you think that partnership might yield in the future?

Yeah, of course we saw the support from Ukrainian diaspora here, but we are very much focused on partnership with American and different organizations, institutions, universities.

So we from on behalf of Open World Program, we really hope and will help our delegates to establish and said the connections, and then develop some project in the future that might cost different areas, especially as I mentioned, we have unique data, we have unique experience that we are ready to share.

Starting from veteran policy and patient care and ending with some, challenges during the war and studying, and going with, educational processes at universities during the war time.

So we will be glad to have, such, both beneficial cooperation.

Well, let me ask Sonia before we have to switch out, and we're going to bring in guests in our second half hour describing what refugees have been going through.

But let's look ahead a little bit.

So five years into the future, let's hope that the war is long over and the work that you are doing to teach and help innovate is focused on what?

Paint a picture of a Ukraine five years into the future that you think is realistic.

In the speculative realist fiction?

Yeah.

But, you know, if it is to sweep potential, I hope will be able to open up our potential to the whole world.

Yeah.

Ukraine.

Ukraine.

See, to a bachelor's.

Ukraine's.

It's a pretty narrow.

There are many Ukrainians who temporarily immigrated to other countries.

And, I hope that in those countries, they saw it firsthand that Ukrainians are very industrious and entrepreneurial people.

The more I open doors with who is with me, short about the, analogy to Ukraine to when to serve them also gives a pretty much like the Marshall Plan after the Second World War gave a huge impetus to European countries development.

Probably Ukraine will be able to use something similar and make big strides, with meal or customer service shamaya more yada radio.

Several nations in economy and we learned how to, utilize what we are getting from the West now to the maximum.

And that's a good first step, and I hope will be able to accelerate our development in the future.

Well, that's, to tell it's key here to, resource knowledge.

My, my new resource.

The more yardage respect recognizable the Svidler.

My.

Unless the chair.

No, no no no no.

We have excellent human capital, you know, educated population.

We have mineral resources.

And with a little help from our friends will be able to achieve a lot pretty soon, five years from now.

Let me ask Mariia, before we let you go here.

We've been talking about the humanitarian work that the organization you work for has done.

And I don't think many of our listeners, maybe none of our listeners today, can really understand what it would be like to live in a country that is under bombardment, to understand that children might need a prosthetic leg, that there might need lifesaving surgeries just for civilians in your own town.

We don't know what that feels like in you.

Do.

And in the moment we're going to meet a refugee.

There have been a number, understandably so, probably several million total refugees from Ukraine.

I think the population was 44 million, something like that.

At the outset of the war.

And it would be impossible to for me to understand how anyone could stay.

So I'm not criticizing anybody for leaving.

I mean, I think I would be a refugee if that were if I were in that country.

But tell me about the mindset of the people who've decided we might need thousands more prosthetics, and this war might go on for several more years, and we are going to do our best to stay no matter what.

I mean, it's a very hard thing to understand, but can you describe what that is like?

Yes, I can, but by the way, it's really hard to describe.

We are continue of of what we continue our work in Kiel.

We have a prosthetic center that people are coming, veterans are coming.

They're women and children.

They are coming because they need prosthetic care.

And sometimes they just come to support us.

If we are talking in perspective, we also organized, educational part of our activities.

So we, we founded Protez Academy and we are providing courses for the rehabilitation specialists, for the surgeons, for different medical professionals to, provide the best knowledge that we can get from American colleagues.

They are coming to care and they share experience and provide some education that we are inspiring, we inspiring by, international.

Our partners, friends, colleagues who comes to Kyiv to see us to visit, to support us.

This is very much helpful for us, even just just a good conversation.

We stay in Kyiv because in, in Ukraine, in those regions we which are bombed every day because this is our homeland.

So you can't just take everything and go as much as possible.

We decide and we choose to stay there.

Of course we have a plan B and plan C in case there is massive attack.

Or for example, our center is getting some, we will get some attack.

We we do realize those risk unfortunately.

For example, last night k was attacked by drones and they attack, internet provider and 100,000 customers.

They left without internet.

Like it.

It's off.

Including our office on the street in city center.

So we do realize all this risk, but we see the people who need our help, so we can't stay away.

We are continue doing our work.

For example, I'm here in the United States, continue speaking and, telling people about our mission, what we are doing about our result and how much is there support needed.

We are doing our best.

We we are, you know, this is only what we have for now.

We believe in Ukraine.

We believe in our bright future.

We do realize that we need to do something personally.

Every one of us must do what is possible on its place.

And then that's how it have it going.

Going that it's going to be five years in February.

It's hard to believe.

Personally, I live in Kiev, so it's really hard.

We have lots of challenges, including, children, you know, PDSA syndrome is all around because of the, when you are up at 2 a.m.

and you heard the sound of the rocket flies above your residential building and then hit something, and you heard that sound and you're thinking, it's close.

Is there any evacuation in the residential building?

This is the reality, you know, and but we are standing for the freedom.

We it was every such attack, our desire and our hope is getting stronger.

We will not give up.

We will not give our freedom to Russians.

We will stand for that.

We will provide care, medical care, prostheses, care for our patients.

And we will remember any support, any help that we got.

We will remember it from the open World program.

I want to thank our guests.

Mariia Yurina, doctor Kseniia Verhal.

Great meeting you both.

Thank you very much for making time.

Thank you for having us.

Thank you very much.

Short break.

More Connections coming up.

Coming up, in our second hour, we continue with our special rebroadcast looking at local history this week and this hour, we bring back the 2026 five to revive list from the Landmark Society of Western New York.

It's their annual list of local landmarks that need some help, that needs some revitalization.

They're going to talk about what is on this year's list, how it made the cut, and why they think it matters.

That's next hour.

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This is Connections.

I'm Evan Dawson.

So in our first half hour, you met a couple of members of the open world delegation, the Open world program from Ukraine.

And in this half hour, we're talking about what is going on with refugees.

And we know there are several million Ukrainian refugees and a growing number having come to the Rochester area.

Harlan Calkins reached out to us not long ago.

He's president of the Ukrainian Housing Foundation, among other endeavors in our community, longtime local business owner and still very active in the community.

And Harlan reached out because of the work that he's doing with Ukrainian housing.

And it first of all, thank you for being here, sir.

Thank you for coming in studio.

Nice to be here.

And let me welcome Tracy Kroft, who is a member of the advisory board for the Ukrainian Housing Foundation and chief development officer for Catholic Charities.

Thank you for being here.

Thanks for having us.

In a moment, we're going to talk to Daria Partida, who is going to talk about her experience.

And Daria.

Nice to meet you.

Thank you very much for being here.

Let me start with with Harlan.

So, Harlan, what was it that prompted you to think about Ukrainian refugees and housing and support for them in this in this community?

Well, I've never been very lucky and somehow been granted some extra time in life.

We sold our business three years ago, so I have some extra funds.

One night I was watching news on WXXI and watched a Russian missile slam into a maternity hospital.

And by the way, they just did that again.

2 or 3 weeks ago, maternity hospital and a children's hospital.

And I decided right then and there I was going to help the Ukrainians.

In what way?

How?

Just set up a foundation to assist them in, rebuilding by getting a new home, getting housing, set mostly for people who lost their homes in Ukraine, but who are in this area to begin with.

And you wanted us to talk to Tracy Kroft, who's been a big fan of your efforts, Tracy tells me.

But why don't you tell me a little bit about what this partnership has meant here and how this comes together?

Harlan.

Well, it is a partnership.

We have a 501 C3 designation, which does not allow us to give directly to refugees.

So we have to have a partner at least one.

We have two.

Actually, there are the Catholic Charities, which is a great organi zation.

We also have the Ukrainian Federal Credit Union.

We are going to help through the Catholic Charities, the rental side.

We're going to help the credit union through the mortgage side.

But that's on hold because of the, federal restrictions on what can happen right now.

We did not want to get involved in a mortgage and then have the refugee exported to Ukraine.

So, okay, so you've you've done all the homework that tells you how you need to go about this to help Ukrainian refugees.

And I mean, if you don't mind me saying you're 93 years young, you've been doing incredible work in this community for a long time.

And I want to just ask you, before we talk to our other guests here, if you feel like, you know, does this community have the energy for this?

There's a lot of focus on a lot of different things.

You're Harlan.

Do you have the energy?

Does this community have the energy for this?

Well, I certainly have.

And I'm 94.

94.

I didn't mean to short you.

Okay.

Well, I think I think the community does.

Everybody I talked to speaks up and said we'd really like to help.

And we need a lot of people to step up and donate to this operation.

There is a website.

I had it in front of me here, but I've got too many papers here.

Ukrainian housing with, oh, there it is.

Ukraine.

It's, it is Ukrainian housing.org.

Ukrainian housing.org.

Do we know Tracy Kroft, who's a member of the advisory board for the Ukrainian Housing Foundation and chief development officer for Catholic Charities.

Do we know how many Ukrainian refugees are in our community now?

We have resettled about 2500 men, women and children, 2500 since.

Since the Russian invasion.

Yeah.

Okay.

And how much is that number going up and changing?

It's not changing now.

Due to the current state of things.

That's a you gave me a look at that.

Said, read between the lines.

Just the state of international politics.

Yes.

So right now, nobody.

No.

Ukrainians are coming into the country.

Okay.

If we had a different kind of situation, would we see more refugees coming in?

You think?

I would, I hazard a guess.

Yes.

Okay.

And when they arrive, what is the process like of trying to identify and help them?

Well, right now it's on hold.

But what has it been?

Yeah, it's been a partnership through the USCCB.

We use a lot of acronyms where we are.

So I can't tell you who that, but it's a government agency, and they partner with us, and we were we are a designated refugee resettlement organization in in New York state.

So we would get referrals.

And then when the folks arrived, we would, meet them, get them set up in housing, get the housing fit for people, you know, with all the things that they need and help them transition into life in, in America.

I'm reading that the Temporary Protected Status designation for Ukraine is currently set to end next month, October 19th.

Is that correct?

Correct.

What does that mean?

It means a lot of things people will not be able to work.

It means that for them, it will be a loss for their own, you know, their economic, their livelihoods, for the for the community.

It will be, a worker shortage.

So, it could mean a lot of different things for the whole community.

Could it mean deportation?

I guess so I don't work in that, in that, in that area, the organization.

But I that has been the conversation.

Let me put this a different way that I'm not going to ask you what's definitely going to happen.

I think what we've learned is it's impossible to tell exactly whenever it comes to either immigration, refugee issues, etc.. Are you worried that there could be deportations?

I think everyone is.

And that's part of what Harlan was saying earlier in the conversation.

When we talked originally, we talked about making this, an assistance to, to get mortgages.

And then with some guidance from the folks in the refugee department, they said, well, it's possible that people might not be able to stay.

So then we thought about how could we help maintain good housing?

We could do it through rental assistance.

And the reason they would not be able to stay is some change in their status.

Correct.

Which we could be seeing soon.

How many of the 2500 Ukrainians in our region since the Russian invasion have TPS temporary protected status?

I don't have those numbers.

I don't know how many.

Is it a small amount?

Is it most?

Is it?

I think it's a lot.

It's a lot.

Okay.

Harlan, what are you worried about there?

Before we get to Darius story?

What are you concerned about?

This change in status that's coming?

Absolutely.

In fact, we have one of the refugees that's with us today is losing his status in two weeks.

And, it's mind boggling.

We've got a really step up and help these people.

Okay, so let's get Darius story, and Darya Paktika is with us.

And again, I want to thank Open World interpreter Sergey Vlad of who's staying with us.

Darya, can you tell us a little bit about where in Ukraine you are from and when you came to Rochester?

Some of my particulars.

Ukraine.

The decision was a marathon.

Was, was a bachelor's degree in there?

Hello, everybody.

We came from Ukraine in 2023.

We're from the transcript.

Parthian region of Ukraine in the west of Ukraine.

Okay.

And what happened that convinced you that you had to leave or forced you to leave Ukraine?

Just show us more slowly.

We know.

Soldier, listen.

It's a national territory.

You taekwondo must have a. But you just say it will, of course, give you my example.

But if someone to call in, it's the full scale war, full scale Russian aggression, you know, that covered the whole of the country.

Everybody felt the impact.

And we had to run to shelters, you know, to somehow, you know, get protected from the bombardments from the from the very first hours of the war, you collect about 30 miles.

You got the speech of the you.

But at home.

And when you have little children, you have to figure out the way to preserve life.

Do you have children, Daria?

What you did.

Troy, I have three kids.

Okay?

How old are they?

She's 231, six, four and two.

And I mentioned that they were married to my youngest son.

Was born here in America.

When, when you came to the United States, did you know anything about Rochester or where you were going?

Sister in Rochester.

She was a libertarian.

Could we?

Metro has nationalist militia now.

Strange.

Shouldn't they give them the family of Tom?

The Montagnards?

No.

Well, it's just more regional news.

We try to learn about this area.

We knew that there would be people who would meet us and, so we'll try to get some, try to get some information.

And how has it been for you in Rochester?

Can you describe what your life has been like?

That it was close.

Meserve Dutch Ramo Barreto, Como.

We're grateful to a lot of people, in Rochester.

Is that us?

No.

Hardly.

No.

Spooky?

No.

Normal?

No.

What they say about this life is it is peaceful.

Nice life.

You know, this is what life should be.

Do you hope to return to Ukraine eventually?

Do you?

To put a mother to do anything?

Would you, I suppose, on this Ukrainian restoration.

To do the rescue on the cars out of was 19 I you it is very complicated.

Question and I cannot give you a straightforward answer right now.

I was listening to Russia and nonetheless Krishna Krishna obviously my heart is there.

You know, Ukraine is in my heart.

I the, the key of starving the key of most food.

But Krishna India to not give sweets.

Who's not on the block to me?

But you know that, these circumstances, circumstances that were imposed on us, forced us to make certain decisions where you have to prioritize the interests of the little ones.

So what is your understanding of your status as a refugee and the status of your family, and is that stable, or is that changing?

And it is not natural.

Some set of mutual scores ensured separate at National for them to suffer.

Kazakhstan.

Everything can change at any given time.

First of all, because, our protected status will expire pretty soon within the legal limits.

And we're very much afraid of becoming illegal aliens in this country.

So do you now know a number of Ukrainians who have also come here for the same reasons you did?

Have you gotten to know the the local Ukrainian refugee community?

Not yet.

Ukraine's, because been not a vision to talk of what I just that he has not even his name or the color.

It's even their nerve wounds of Syrian.

It's it's just we seem to so I just must and is a little shy.

It's a Swedish album of Johanna, my cousin.

Yes.

You know, we know quite a few people in the same situation.

And as us, you know, there is a sizable Ukrainian community here.

I mean, a Ukrainian refugees.

And everybody's very anxious and very much worried because the government is not telling us anything and we don't know what's going to happen.

So if you were deported, if you were told to, to leave.

So, where would you go back to your previous home in Ukraine.

And I don't know what you would do, you know, to show what you've done, as long as I do, because I. Bethania once again, it's a very loaded question.

Well, Nazi neo Sebastian moment.

Simon yaki.

Sebastian, you know, the, our own story is, was made even more complicated because we have certain circumstances within our families which make the situation really grave.

Even crying is a thought as al-Qaida and as the China in the New York.

And at the same time, we cannot provide security for our kids if we return to Ukraine.

Have you been able to get housing in the Rochester area?

And this is still a long road system that Bush is still in and on the video chat.

So my family Jimmy killed the Vietnamese Nazi.

Yes, we were very lucky.

And, we're very grateful to people, to all the people who helped us, in the first place, to the Housing Foundation problem making, the what?

It's, But what?

Yeah.

Those of us live aspect.

The Como and the subordination.

Then with the spooking them at some distance of the border because our problems are many.

But at the same time, you could at least, you know, relax in this respect, you know, getting support and we got support.

So, Daria, can you tell us what you want Americans to understand about what Ukraine is going through and what you as a refugee are going through?

What do you think most people in this country don't understand and to resonate?

I was born many day below Bahar Toscano, Alia.

Yes, Cruz.

The shadows of green.

But it's not set.

Not.

Although in Lodi.

Well, a lot has been said about it.

But let me reiterate what is what's happening now is a genocide against Ukrainian people.

It's the it's a short to send us to lose weight, go a. Standard to do.

And then as a spoken it's.

And then I put a stomach book of an interventionist system to do the and the special starts.

I'm afraid that, there is no happy end in some foreseeable future because the, country which is, the aggressor country is not going to stop.

The goal is, to kill us all, you know, do you know, do away with Ukraine as a country and its people in a formal and apparently not most livable.

The Bible in the kitchen.

You so horrible the in the daily in the.

It does not matter sama.

And even if they sign some papers, they're not going to stop in the next generation.

The you know, they'll try to do the same until they exterminate us.

Yes, well, in our last couple of minutes, let me just ask Harlan and Tracy, then.

Harlan, when you hear the story, you've heard many stories like Darius.

This is why you're doing this work, isn't it?

Exactly correct.

Yes.

We have to raise lots of money, big donations and little donations.

And a lot of people think that if they give something small, it doesn't matter.

But if you got enough people giving small amounts, it adds up to a lot.

And that's what we're hoping for, is to really get a lot of people involved in this.

Have you talked to political movers and shakers, your member of Congress, or anybody else about what happens with temporary protected status?

I mean, it sounds like there's an entire community of people who are nervous about what happens next month here.

Just a few weeks.

I have not talked with them specifically, but, expect to in the next 2 or 3 weeks.

What are you going to tell them?

I'm tell them we need help.

It's urgent.

It's urgent.

Right.

Tracy, what do you hear in the story of Daria?

What comes to your mind?

How how brave they are.

How brave they all are.

I can't imagine living with that fear and that worry every single day, and.

And I don't know, it's just.

I'm very.

I just am very touched by her and her bravery and and and her family.

It is easy to take for granted, waking up and not worrying that a missile strike is coming.

Yes.

Raising kids, knowing that they're for the most part they should have a healthy, safe day.

We take that for granted.

Yes, you're meeting families all the time who are coming from places where they don't have that.

So up close with this for you here again, you're not in charge.

You don't get to set the policy, but you're you're wondering, like everybody else, what happens next year.

What would you say if you were in the room with policymakers?

What would you tell them?

I would say things have to change, obviously, but the they need answers.

They need guidelines.

They can't wonder what's going to happen after October 19th.

What's the transition?

You know, some clear direction, some some support about it.

Well, I want to thank all of our guests for being here.

And Tracy Kroft from, Catholic Charities.

Thank you very much.

Also a member of the advisory board for Ukrainian Housing Foundation.

It's Ukrainian housing.org.

If you want to learn more, I'm not allowed to tell you to donate to any organization but my own site.

But if you decide you want to support it, you can find information right there at Ukrainian housing.org.

Thank you for the work you're doing.

Thank you for being here.

Thank you Harlan, it is great to meet you in person.

Thank you for the work that you're doing.

Thank you.

Thank you very much, Harlan Calkins.

And I want to thank Daria Paktika for telling her story.

Good luck to you.

I hope that we talked to you again and there is more clarity and stability in your life.

Thank you very much.

And the question is, does the state that's what call them would like to thank everybody to.

That's Daria Paktika.

We've got more Connections coming up in just a minute.

But.

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