JOURNAL #7 Women in wine find jobs and hope for Ukrainian refugee
Three women in Portuguese wine are working with the sector to find jobs, accommodation and friendship for refugees from the Ukrainian wine industry.
Eduarda Dias (Vadio and Herdade de Coelheiros), Francisca Van Zeller (Aveleda), and Mariana Roque do Vale (Santa Clara/ Ermo Wines), have been tirelessly going through their contact books to find jobs and homes for people who were working in the Ukrainian wine sector before Putin’s attack on the country.
So far they have received 33 people from 16 families, matching all but one of them with jobs and accomodation in the wine and hospitality industry before they arrived in Portugal.
“We have a database of 56 Portuguese wine producers who have offered jobs and sometimes accommodation to Ukrainian refugees coming from the sector over there,” says Eduarda, who first came up with the idea.
“We are trying to match people’s CVs with the right jobs in wineries, vineyards, restaurants etc. They are people who worked in the Ukrainian wine sector, or who have a real knowledge and love of wine.
“We have been helping them with the process of getting here, trying to find accommodation, organising schools and Portuguese lessons. Sometimes they have stayed at my place and Mariana’s too, in Lisbon,” says Eduarda.
“There is such bravery”
Most of the people arriving are women with children, or men who were abroad when the war started, says Eduarda.
“It is very stressful and hard for them when they arrive. They have often left their partners and families behind, so we try to group them together so they can also support each other,” she says.
“The biggest example of bravery I’ve seen is two women who traveled together with three children between them – they drove for seven days to get here. We were in touch with them throughout the trip and have found them jobs together.”
“It feels personal – we had to do something”
Eduarda had been talking regularly with Ukrainian wine importer, Viktor Oliinykov, for about 2-3 years before the war started, and felt compelled to act when he reached out for help for his workers and their families.
“He’s a really talented promoter of small producers, and it felt so personal when the war hit because I knew him,” says Eduarda. “I had to do something to help and the way I could do this was through my network, so I started phoning people in the Portuguese wine sector.”
Soon, Mariana got involved, and hosted a Ukrainian wine importer at her home who was abroad when the war began. Francisca then joined and has been building the database and a website. ViniPortugal, the country’s main wine promoter, has also been helping to get the word out.
The Ukraine wine sector has a rich history, dating back to the 4th century BC (in Crimea, which Russia took in the 2014 war/ annexation), and going back 2,500 years in the present-day Odesa region.
How to help
Anyone in the Portuguese wine/ hospitality sector who is able to offer employment and/ or accommodation to Ukrainians, can contact Eduarda at eduarda.dias@vadio.pt or Francisca at francisca.vanzeller@gmail.com