Ukrainian refugee Obi Ojimadu has said he can imagine a future for himself and his family in Ireland as he reflects on the last 12 months which have seen his life flipped upside down.
When the Russian invasion began, he was a youth coach for top Ukrainian football side Shaktar Donetsk and now coaches with Mullingar Athletic FC as a way to “give back to the community” and integrate into society.
“Nobody could have expected this 12 months ago,” said Obi, who believes that positivity is key in these circumstances. “We never had plans and we weren’t prepared for this, but it has been a very, very quick year. It feels like it happened two days ago!
