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Our guest Charlotte
Enen:
“I want to
have as much passion for my job as people in Aratta have.
Charlotte Enen from
Great Britain came to Ukraine this summer where she found out about Aratta
and the Centre of Social Services work. This interview tells us about
Charlotte’s trip to Ukraine and her personal impressions.
- Charlotte, we’d like to know more about you and your family, what
do you do.
- I’ve just graduated from the University where I had been
studying Geography. I’m going to study International relations for one
more year. My parents are divorced, but I get on well both with my father
and my mother. That’s why sometimes I live in Canterbury with my mother
and sometimes in London with my father. I have a wonderful step-father. He
is a good person and a talented architect. My brother Fred is 17 years old.
We live quite peacefully with my brother, though sometimes there are
little fights between us.
I also work in publicity. Together with my colleagues we make adverts of
new books, organize various meetings with journalists and authors and try
to sell more books. In future I’d love to have a job as rewarding as the
people in Aratta have. I want to have as much passion for my job as people
in Aratta have, to get up every morning and love going to work.
- Why did you come to Ukraine and who gave you the idea to come here?
- The fact is that my mother’s shop is next door to Philip Edmond’s flat
from the organization “British Humanitarian Aid”. My mother usually
donates things to the organization. Philip suggested to me to go to
Ukraine and to have a look where the humanitarian aid goes. As I had a
long summer holiday ahead of me I agreed. Ukraine has an interesting
political background. We don’t hear much about Ukraine in England. We only
heard about Chernobyl and the Orange revolution. That’s why I got
interested with the suggestion to spend more than three weeks in Ukraine.
- How did you imagine Ukraine before you arrived?
I only had an image of what Kiev – the capital of Ukraine - was like. It
is known more as an agricultural region. I also knew the colour of the
flag. Philip warned me about the hot weather and the mosquitoes and also
told me about the friendly, hospitable and generous people.
- What did you do during your visit?
I stayed with Ira Molchanova’s family in Gorodnya. Ira works at the Centre
of Social Services mainly with families with orphans. During my stay I
visited many families and handicapped people in Gorodnya; Chernihiv,
Gorodnya and Shchors Arattas and the sights in these places and in Kiev.
- What did you like in Ukraine most of all?
I like that I have become part of the big and friendly “Aratta” family. I
was welcomed to various celebrations, birthdays and even to a real
Ukrainian wedding. I also celebrated together with everybody Independence
Day in Chernihiv. I noticed that everybody loves celebrating, dressing up
and preparing a lot of food. I’ll remember for ever the picnic with the
children in Shchors Aratta. It was how I imagined the work. Everybody
works together as a team and with great enthusiasm.
-What didn’t you like in Ukraine?
Hospitals!!! I went to hospital twice. Once I got a sty on my eye and the
second time I got a plant allergy.
Sometimes I wanted indoor toilets and not to be bitten by mosquitoes. But
these are small problems. Actually it was a real adventure!
- What were you surprised at?
The quantity of food people are able to eat and stay slim in Ukraine. I’ve
never heard such a number of toasts at the table. I want to introduce the
idea of toasts in England. I also was surprised at the national Ukrainian
hospitality and how open the people are. I was shown hundreds of photos in
every house I’ve visited.
- Do you want to visit Ukraine again? What are the similarities
between England and Ukraine and what are the differences?
I’d love to visit Ukraine one more time. This country seems to me less
materialistic than England. People are incredibly creative and cheerful.
They are fantastic at celebrating. They can organize any holiday despite
the difficulties in everyday life. People in England and in Ukraine are
the same in putting lots of time and efforts to achieve a success.
- What can you say about the fashion in Ukraine?
Fashion between two countries is different. Girls and women like more to
dress up here. They wear high heels and a lot of make up. English people
like sport style and they wear more casual things.
- Have you noticed any other difference in the life of English and
Ukrainian people?
Teenagers in England want to be very independent. Young boys and girls
leave home very early before marriage. I have noticed that there are much
better relationships between parents and children, especially between
children and grandmothers. Grandmothers in England don’t look after the
children much. I have also found out that in Ukraine there are definitely
less divorces and families are much stronger here than ours.
- How do English people look after orphans?
In England we don’t have orphanages. Both orphans and handicapped children
are brought up in foster families. Such families are paid very well.
Sometimes these families adopt orphans.
- Charlotte, what do you want to wish to “Aratta”?
I want to wish to “Aratta” and to all its branches success in all their
plans and good deeds!
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