Tetiana
Tetiana Shedko was born in the now devastated city of Mariupol, where she graduated with a degree in Economics and Business. She moved to Kyiv, where she was living before the war with her husband and two children. She had a successful career as a photographer.
When Russian troops arrived in Kyiv, Tetiana filled a car with everything she could and drove her children out of the city. They found shelter in a freezing rural house with 20 other people, often with no water as the pipes had frozen. But soon the bombing reached neighbouring towns, and Tetiana decided to drive with her children across the border into Romania. She had no plan, but just knew that they had to leave.
Whilst travelling through Europe she received the devastating news that her father in Mariupol had died. Tetiana eventually made it to the UK through the Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme and joined our STEP Ukraine programme in May. She received 1:1 support from World Jewish Relief’s Russian-speaking Employment Advisor, who helped Tetiana to create a CV and get to know the local photography market.
Tetiana attended our English language classes and received tailored mentorship from a customer service relations specialist. With this network supporting her, within a month Tetiana received a job offer from Snappy Snaps, where she currently works as a Sales Advisor.
You can see Tetiana’s photography on Instagram: @tetiana_shedko
“I am very grateful to my Employment Advisor Veronika for her support at the most difficult time, when there were many documents to fill out and submit to various authorities. Veronika helped me a lot with writing a CV, helped connect me with a mentor, and offered me moral support, giving me confidence that everything would really work out. Even after finding a job, Veronika continues to be interested in how things are going. Thank you very much for your support, kindness, attention and participation in the lives of Ukrainian people.”
