Life in Ukraine today can simply be described as hell on earth. Since the Russian invasion of the country, its been constant bombardment, torture (as reported by some media sources), killings, strikes and counter strikes. Many stories of atrocities on both sides and propaganda depending on whose side you stand. Claims and counterclaims.
For certain, one cannot but know how well the Russians or the Ukrainians are doing. After all, the Russians will only allow thyeir own state media to broadcast certain "truths", and so also the Ukrainians. Of course, no one doubts the might of Russia nor the stubbornness of the Ukrainians. However, this is not the focus fot this article.
As the war broke out, it was shocking to read or watch what treatment metted out to Africans by Ukrainians who themselves were fleeing the war. African mothers and children were asked to get off buses meant to get them out of harms way. Its online. Watch this BBC Africa eye documentary titled NOT OUR WAR:Africans fleeing Ukraine on this youtube link. https://youtu.be/95ABSqRpy74. This stories told by those who have lived in this hell makes one understand what i believe is the racial undertone of an inglorious war.
Africa Welsh News caught up with Taiwo, a Nigerian who studied medicine in Ukraine but now lives in Swansea in Wales. She shared with us what life was like before the war and why it was not totally surprising that Africans fleeing from Ukraine were treated in such an abhorrent way.
AWN - Hi Taiwo, in a previous chat, you talked a little about living in Ukraine, tell us a little bit about your experience.
Taiwo - I lived in Ukraine since 2010. I went there to study and finished my studies in 2017 and then i went for residency training after that.
AWN - Residency traning? This means you studied to be a doctor?
Taiwo - Yes i did
AWN - So after your residency, did you go into practice?
Taiwo - No, i decided to move to the U.K after this
AWN - So you moved here in 2017
Taiwo - No no. So i finished in 2017 and then did my residency which i finished in 2020 and then came here in 2021.
AWN - So since you have completed your residency course, how come you did not stay and practice in Ukraine
Taiwo - Well, For me, i think i wanted to go somewhere where i believed there will be more opportunities and i believe that Ukraine has very limited opportunities for foreigners and especially for doctors so i wanted to go to a place where i would actually progress
AWN - Let me understand what you are saying here. You talk of limited opportunities. I am surprised by this because last time i checked, it seems most western countries are looking for doctors and others in the medical profession
Taiwo - Hmm, yes.
AWN - So then, why is it then you say that there are limited opportunities for people in the medical profession especially doctors in Ukraine?
Taiwo - Well, i dont know. It just feels like they were not interested in us (foreign doctors that studied in Ukraine). Its like, when you finish, they expect you to go (leave the country). I was not paid for my residency training. I paid them
AWN - You paid to do your residency in Ukraine, this is interesting,
Taiwo - The way it works in Ukraine, residency for foreigners is part of your studies. Its not employment. So students have to pay. After that, if you want to gain employment in Ukraine, you have to have your permanent residency first.
AWN - So i see you came to the UK just before the war started. There has been a lot of stories on the internet especially on many social media sites that has not received much coverage on news coverage here about the way Africans are treated in Ukraine after the invasion of the country by Russian forces. Many of this are presumably recorded by the people suffering the abuse themselves or by people closely. What do you think or what can you say about this purported reports? Some which has been verified by other agencies?
Taiwo - I do not want to say this is generally how all Ukrainians behave or that this is how they treat Africans. Ukrainians who are exposed are generally well behaved but some are not well exposed. I mean, just walking on the street, you are asked where you are from? I have experienced racism countless times in Ukraine. I remember one time my class mates, who were all Africans from different African countries, and i were going as a group with two instructors from my University. They were taking us to one hospital. We have never been there before so we were being escorted there to meet with the professor who was going to teach us at this hospital. There were some boys harassing us, some of them were holding knives. We managed to get to the hospital and have our class but when we were ready to leave, they had to call police to escort us from the class to the bus stop because the boys were still hanging around obviously because they kmew we would leave there at some point. At the bus stop, we (medical students), all went our seperate ways. One of our classmates was attacked in the metro station and ended up with serious injuries so he was hospitalised. We suspect it was those guys and it was reported the Nigerian embassy and some officials went to the embassy and sorted things out. We think it was some African guy for in a nearby market that found him and his passport and reported it. Lots of people, especially guys get attacked in Ukraine.
AWN - Thankfully that attack was not fatal. Thats the only positive in this. He was just injured and no one died. I can understand if you dont want to talk about certain issues. There were stories on social media about Nigerians fleeing the war who were not allowed to board trains or buses. I watched one ladies story on social media who claimed that she walked lots of miles with kids and luggage because she was told the bus was only for Ukrainians and not for Africans. Obviously, you left the country before war broke out, do you know anyone who experienced such outrageous behaviour?
Taiwo - Yes, i actually do. I spoke to some of them who told me what they experienced. Some said how they had to struggle with some Ukrainians. One friend said how she managed to get a seat on a train but was pushed off by an Ukrainian. I wasn't surprised. We expected it.
AWN - Well, if you say you are not surprised, that means things like this happens quite frequently there. I can't imagine being on a bus here and you are pushed off your seat. Obviously, UK, in Europe is probably one of the countries with the least amount of direct racism incidents like this. A case like this here will be shocking. I am not saying it cannot happen but it will be one that most people here in the UK will condemn vehemently.
Taiwo - I will not want to say that pushing people off the seaat happens regularly. I mean, there are other forms of racism that we experienced. For instance, there was a time i was sitting in a bus and some young guys started misbehaving around me on the bus. One of them hit my head when he was disembarking. When they got off, they started hitting the window by my seat saying some words. No one did anything nor said anything. Not even the bus driver.
AWN - Well, this is very very interesting. But lets leave this Ukrainian racism issue because obviously they are at war now and no matter what we feel about racism in Ukraine, what is going on in that country now is really sad because innocent people, good people are dying every day and sad as it is, if i can briefly touch on the racism issue again, people we spoke to in some African countries who actually said they donated towards the Ukrainian war effort said they would no longer after hearing and seeing how fellow Africans were treated.
However, as i said earlier, it is sad that this war is a reality there now. So you moved to the UK before the war and you live in Swansea. Since your move to the UK, you have worked in the care sector. Do you still plan to use your degree?
Taiwo - Yes, yes definitely. But let me add that i have nice Ukrainian friends and some are nice, sensitive people. But some people are not exposed and just ignorant and giving others a bad name. But also we need to understand the cultural context. You know, Africans are jovial and open but this people come from a different way of life and not as open and exposed as we are. Many are content to just stay in Ukraine and not travel but i find the younger generation are very approachable and some will even have minded leaving Ukraine before the war for more exposure. Even one of my professors said that if he could speak English that he would have loved to move to the UK. So there are some really nice people but also there are bad eggs.