In this episode of My Journey Home, we meet Ausma Beikule and Olga Chlebopaseba-Trifonova. Two remarkable women from the same Latvian town who now call Ireland home.
They share warm memories of Latvian traditions—from cold beetroot soup to name-day calendars and Midsummer celebrations—and open up about their personal journeys of migration, work, and community.
Ausma reflects on her early job struggles and how a helping hand led her to a career at Abbott in Longford. Bringing their entrepreneurial skills in Latvia, she and her husband are selling artificial Christmas trees, greenhouses, and garden accessories.
Olga talks about arriving in Ireland in 2002, starting out as a mushroom picker, and eventually finding her calling as a Ukrainian Support Worker with County Cavan Local Development, where she helps migrant families rebuild their lives. She now runs a disco club in Cavan Town.
A moving and inspiring conversation about perseverance, cultural pride, and finding purpose far from home.
Listen to their stories on My Journey Home, hosted by Vanda Brady on Shannonside