Almost a year after arriving in Sooke, a single mother from Ukraine and her two children face a future filled with uncertainty.

Sofia Slobodeniuk and her young son and daughter left Ukraine in March 2023 to seek refuge in Canada during the most challenging time of the war.

After an arduous journey with little more than the clothes on their backs, followed by a stay in Slovakia to arrange for their paperwork, the family arrived in Sooke in August. They spent the first three months living with the Levine's, a family that had experience sponsoring families from Ukraine. After 18 months at Ukrainan safe Haven in East Sooke, Slobodeniuk managed to find an apartment.

She continues to work at a her first job in a beauty salon, and started a second job in April in housekeeping with Island Health while she pursues permanent residency.

"My goal at this point is to get on full-time with Island Health," she said. 

Her English has improved to the level five immigration requirement for housekeeping employment, and she continues to work toward level nine, which is essential for her other job.

"In general, we are doing well and trying our best," she said. "But my heart is still in Ukraine. I feel like my choice would be to fight for my country, but right now, Canada is best for the safety of my kids and their education.

Although her son (9) and her daughter (7) are doing "very well" at school, the summer vacation break has posed some challenges. 

"The kids really miss their friends and the activities at school," she said. "I wish I had more time to spend with them, but I'm working two jobs to make a better life for them.

"My daughter's English is amazing," Slobodeniuk said. "She can read and write in English, but not Ukrainian, so I'm working with her online to teach her. They still want to go back to Ukraine. My daughter misses riding on her father's shoulders, and walking with her feet on his shoes, and they both miss their grandparents cooking."

That aching for home is exacerbated by the fact that it's difficult to keep in touch with family and friends online with the difference in time and limited windows of opportunity because of the current conditions in Ukraine, she noted.

Slobodeniuk said that although her son has a better understanding of why they can't return to Ukraine now because of the war, it remains a difficult situation for mother and children.

"It can be very painful because of what we're going through," she said. "People don't understand that there are no simple answers about our future right now."

At least Slobodeniuk is able to take some comfort with the recent news that her brother, who was seriously injured fighting in the war against Russia, has moved to Switzerland with his girlfriend to start a new life.

Although she's grateful for the encouragement, support and kind words she's received from many people, Slobodeniuk has an important message to share with women that resulted in part from the first story she did with the Sooke News Mirror. 

"I was disgusted by the many men who contacted me to offer money in exchange for sex," she said. "It got so bad with one man in Sooke that I had to file a police report for stalking. Women need to be very careful, especially on social media."