Everybody Knows a Baba: What Keeps a Community Alive for Generations?

In this episode of Rooted Here, we sit down with Danylo Puderak of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress of Saskatchewan to explore the history, leadership, and relationships that have helped Ukrainian culture remain deeply rooted in Saskatchewan for more than a century.The conversation also looks at the role UCC Saskatchewan has played over the past 50 years, from supporting cultural organizations and advocating for Ukrainian education and heritage to helping newcomers find work, learn English, and build new lives in the province.When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, that work changed dramatically. Danylo recalls phones ringing constantly and inboxes overflowing with Saskatchewan residents offering housing, employment, donations, and whatever help they could provide. With nearly 9,000 displaced Ukrainians eventually arriving in Saskatchewan, the organization found itself responding not only to a global crisis, but to the deeply personal challenges faced by families who had been forced to leave everything behind.The episode explores what those newcomers continue to face, why language and isolation can be some of the hardest barriers to overcome, and how programs, cultural organizations, volunteers, and everyday relationships can create a sense of belonging far from home.At it’s heart, this is a conversation about why culture survives when people continue to carry it forward, adapt it, and make room for others to belong.Because in Saskatchewan, as Danylo puts it, everybody seems to have a Baba, know a Baba, or somehow find themselves connected to one.Learn more about the Ukrainian Canadian Congress:https://www.ucc.ca/This episode is presented by The Bamboo Podcast Network.Subscribe to The Bamboo Pod.Follow The Bamboo Pod on Instagram.Check out the Rooted Here series for more conversations with local entrepreneurs, innovators, and community leaders.