Sheffield: The Ukrainian friends forging new lives in the Steel City

Yuliia Sharmankina is said to have excelled during training at coffee firm CAWA

Icons & Machines Yuliia Sharmankina — Yuliia Sharmankina is said to have excelled during training at coffee firm CAWA

Six months ago the lives of three ordinary women in Ukraine were turned upside down when Russia invaded. Mariia Semenchuk, 29, Inna Draganova, 32, and Yuliia Sharmankina, 23, tell the BBC how Sheffield has welcomed them.

"Sheffield is very hilly!" says Inna. "Yes, we have hills in Kyiv, but we've definitely slimmed down since coming here."

Mariia adds: "Kyiv is massive. Sheffield feels a lot smaller. It's very cosy and very green."

There is light-hearted talk, too, about additional language challenges caused by the strong Yorkshire dialect.

But the smiles and laughs are plasters on deep emotional wounds.

Icons & Machines Mariia Semenchuk — Mariia is working in marketing

"I was sad at having to leave Ukraine," says Mariia. "I feel despair, confusion... People are dying. Children are dying. I have a sister and both parents still in Ukraine."

With a shake of her head, she adds: "I do not know how to explain further."

A pause in the conversation follows before Inna attempts to lift the mood with talk of the "warm" Sheffield spirit.

It is clear they draw strength from each other, as they forge new lives in the Steel City.

After researching potential UK hosts, Mariia and Inna arrived in the Broomhill area of the city in May. Yuliia followed later.

"It is like our extended family," says Inna, speaking about their host family. "We cook together, eat together and go on weekend trips together. We rotate the daily cooking because Mariia and I like to cook... all Ukrainians love to cook."

They enjoyed a trip to the football, with Sheffield having hosted the summer's Uefa Women's Euro 2022 competition.

Mariia says she and Inna chose Sheffield because they wanted to come to a big city "but not a huge city where competition for jobs is high".

Determined to support themselves and send money home, they initially found housekeeping work in a city hotel.

'Valuable skills and expertise'

But wanting to put her masters degree in marketing to good use, Mariia began researching restaurants and coffee shops, eventually finding CAWA - which means coffee in Ukrainian.

All three women now work here.

CAWA's co-founder Galyna Hayat is herself of Ukrainian heritage, having emigrated to the UK in 1997.

Despite seeing no listed vacancies, Mariia emailed her CV nonetheless.

Within days of receiving it, Mariia was invited for an informal chat.

"During my first phone call with Galyna, I took a gamble and mentioned my friend, Inna, who also wanted to leave the hotel," recalls Mariia.

The gamble paid off. Inna was invited along, too.

Impressed, the business owner created two new positions.

"Creating opportunities that didn't previously exist is deeply rewarding," says Galyna. "Nurturing fledgling talent is at the heart of CAWA. We have the resources to develop bright individuals and integrate their valuable skills and expertise into our business."

The two friends made an immediate impression.

Mariia, showing flair for graphic design, now oversees the development of CAWA's A-boards, menus and digital screens.

Inna coordinates the day-to-day bakery operations, ensuring breads and pastries are delivered to the company's five coffee shops as well as hotels, restaurants and independent cafes across the country.

Inna Draganova inspects pastries before they are sent out to shops around Sheffield

Icons & Machines Inna Draganova inspects pastries before they are sent out to shops around Sheffield — Inna Draganova inspects pastries before they are sent out to shops around Sheffield

Galyna later posted an advertisement for a barista opportunity on a Facebook page set up to support Ukrainian refugees.

Yuliia, a fluent English speaker, was hired and "excelled" during training, according to Galyna, completing a two-week training programme in half the usual time.

Galyna, a qualified English teacher, is helping Mariia and Inna improve their language skills.

"In the early stages of their employment, I translated between them and the rest of our team," says Galyna.

"But they're both incredibly determined women, so they learn quickly. I've seen a huge improvement, although they sometimes struggle with the northern dialect."

Galyna praises the contribution of her Ukrainian employees.

"From a company culture perspective, Mariia, Inna and Yuliia's talent serves only to enrich our already multicultural company," she says.