Ukrainian refugees from the war receive a house and a job in Brazil

The first group of Ukrainians who landed in Brazil, fleeing the war, have already found a job and a new home. The information was confirmed to CNN by the Brazilian host entities, responsible for their arrival in the country. The 29 citizens disembarked on March 18, in the city of Guarulhos, in São Paulo, and were later transferred to Guarapuava, in Paraná. They applied for a refugee visa in the country.

After the initial reception, the first wave of Ukrainians withdrew identification documents to circulate in Brazil. The Guarapuava Health Department made the registration and consultation to assess the health status of each and if there is a pending vaccination against any specific disease such as polio, measles or Covid-19, for example. All the adults are guaranteed jobs by companies that have offered to help them. Before the war, some worked as teachers and others in construction.

According to Pastor Elias Dantas, in charge of the welcoming work with the support of other religious congregations, the owner of a company in the region offered employment to all adults (the functions were not disclosed). The invitation came after the businesswoman visited the shelter where the Ukrainians are provisionally sheltered by the city’s Life Community. The improvements also included donations of refrigerators and furniture from two other local merchants.

Pastor Elias said that all efforts are focused on giving dignity to Ukrainian citizens who fled the war and accepted a fresh start far away from the conflict. The religious said that their adaptation to Brazil is going smoothly, starting with food.

“Here they have been eating meat, fish, chicken, vegetables and potatoes, foods they were used to in their country. They like to feel useful and help with their own meal preparation,” she said.

The other good news is that in addition to employment, the Ukrainians received housing in Brazil in a new building, which was never inhabited. “They will all be in 11 beautiful apartments, in the center of the city, 500 meters from the church, 290 meters from the supermarket, 200 meters from the excellent school where children and teenagers will attend classes”, detailed the pastor.

Martha Zimmerman, from the Baptist Association for Social Action (ABASC), one of the organizations responsible for the first reception of Ukrainians in Brazil, said that the main objective was to guarantee the livelihood of these people with the help of donations. After the adaptation period, according to her, it was to insert them in the job market, a stage that is being concluded little by little.

Ukrainians in Sao Paulo

On Saturday (26), another 41 Ukrainians arrived in São Paulo also for a fresh start in Brazil. The group has already been taken to the city of São José dos Campos, in the interior of the state. They were welcomed by volunteers from Igreja da Cidade, linked to the GKPN (Global Kingdom Partnership Network).

In the city of São Paulo, the group was welcomed with a party and afterwards they went to a pizzeria. After dinner they all went to the same hotel where they will stay temporarily.