On February 27, 2026, in Kyiv, at the Peremoga Space innovation hub, the final meeting of the “HOLD THE LINE” grant competition grantees took place. The event, organized by the International Renaissance Foundation and the EU Delegation to Ukraine, brought together teams implementing critical initiatives for veterans and their families. The Oleksandr Tereshchenko Charity Foundation presented the results of the project “Peer-to-Peer: Supporting Veterans with Amputations,” which has become an effective rehabilitation tool through the peer-mentorship model.

The Philosophy of Agency and Peer Support

At the heart of the project lies a concept where veterans who have already navigated the long path of rehabilitation and adaptation share their unique practical experience with those just beginning the process. The project’s key trainer, Oleksandr Tereshchenko—a veteran with 11 years of experience with bilateral upper limb amputations—emphasized: the main goal of the initiative is to transform the veteran from a passive “recipient of aid” into an active “co-creator of change.” The project focuses not on theoretical motivation, but on specific “self-reliance” and returning the individual to a full life.

 

 

Scale and Geography of Implementation

Instead of the 10 planned practical workshops, the team actually conducted 13 meetings in response to significant demand from communities and partners. Educational and practical events covered cities such as Kyiv, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Dnipro, and Odesa. Collaboration with Veterans HUB ODESA became one of the most successful examples of cross-sectoral interaction, allowing for the most effective fulfillment of the regional veteran community’s needs.

Target Audience and Outreach Results:

• 150 veterans with amputations and their family members received direct support.

• 90 practicing specialists (occupational therapists and physical therapists) were introduced to the methodology.

• 350 students and faculty members of specialized universities participated in the events, contributing to the integration of veteran experience into Ukraine’s future rehabilitation system.

Innovative Tools for Independence

The Foundation’s team developed and tested a range of intellectual and practical tools:

• “Self-reliance Guide”: A manual containing 83 answers to practical questions regarding self-care.

• “Independence Quest”: An interactive game that allows veterans to find solutions for daily household challenges in a gamified format.

• “Self-reliance Backpack”: A demonstration kit of adapted small items and household life hacks that make a person independent even without the use of expensive prosthetics.

Creating a Sustainable Community

One of the most valuable outcomes of the project was the formation of a living support network. In particular, the private WhatsApp group “Hook Brothers” continues to function, uniting 25 veterans with bilateral upper limb amputations. Group members autonomously exchange experiences regarding the selection and operation of prosthetics, resolve daily issues, and support one another, confirming the project’s sustainability after the conclusion of grant funding.

Development Prospects: “Train-the-Trainer School”

Summarizing the results, the Foundation team noted that the project has only formally concluded. The next step will be the launch of a specialized “Train-the-Trainer School” to scale the peer-mentorship model to a national level. This will allow the transformation of individual veteran experience into a systematic teaching methodology and prepare a new generation of mentors to work in rehabilitation centers across the country.

“Peer-to-Peer” is not just a project format, but a way to speak with veterans about dignity and possibilities without pity or falsehood. The Tereshchenko Foundation team continues to work toward making the practical experience of veterans an integral part of the modern rehabilitation system in Ukraine.

During the final press conference, “Life After Amputations: From Motivational Slogans to Practical Solutions,” project lead Natalia Kratiuk presented the results of an initiative implemented by the Oleksandr Tereshchenko Charity Foundation with support from the International Renaissance Foundation. Ms. Kratiuk’s presentation outlined a transition from abstract psychological support to a concrete, pragmatic strategy for the social adaptation of veterans.

Pragmatism vs. “Motivational Motivation”

A key message from Natalia Kratiuk was a conscious departure from what she termed “motivational motivation.” Instead of general slogans, the project focused on purely applied tasks that help veterans with amputations overcome daily household challenges. According to the project leader, the ability to manage one’s own daily life independently is the fundamental cornerstone of genuine social adaptation.

The project is built on the “peer-to-peer” principle, where experience is shared by veterans who have already successfully navigated the path of rehabilitation and prosthetics, most notably lead trainer Oleksandr Tereshchenko.

Scale and Geography of the Initiative

Natalia Kratiuk highlighted the high demand for this format of interaction: instead of the planned 10 practical workshops, 13 were actually conducted. The work was carried out in a highly flexible mode—a “mobile cinema” for demonstrating video tips was deployed directly in hospital corridors, canteens, gyms, and prosthetic enterprises.

The project’s geography covered key rehabilitation and medical centers across the country:

• Kyiv and Region: “Tsybli” All-Ukrainian Center, “Titanium” Cultural Center.
• Lviv and Region: “Halychyna” Center for Complex Rehabilitation (Lviv and Velykyi Liubin).
• Dnipro: City Clinical Hospital №4 (Recovery Center) and the Dnipro Experimental Prosthetic and Orthopedic Enterprise.
• Ivano-Frankivsk: “Mriya-Diya” Veteran Space at the Regional Hospital and the relocated “Donbas” Center.
• Odesa: Veterans Hub Odesa.

 

Reach and the Scientific-Educational Component

The project demonstrated a systemic approach by working simultaneously with three target audiences:

1. Veterans and their families: Approximately 150 individuals received direct support and practical life hacks.
2. Practicing professionals: Around 90 occupational and physical therapists were involved in the exchange of experience.
3. Future specialists: Over 350 students and faculty members from specialized universities (specifically in Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Dnipro, and Odesa) attended lectures and workshops.

Kratiuk noted that working with students is an investment in the future of Ukraine’s rehabilitation system.

 

Analytical Foundation and Intellectual Products

A vital part of the presentation was the description of the surveying conducted by the project team. Based on 139 collected questionnaires (87 from veterans/professionals and 52 from students), a deep understanding of the target audience’s needs was formed.

This analysis resulted in two specific tools:

• Self-Reliance Guide: A methodical manual containing answers to 83 practical questions regarding self-care.
• Independence Quest: An interactive game (based on Google Forms) that allows users to test their domestic adaptation skills in a “hero’s journey” format.

Future Strategy: The School of Trainers

Concluding her speech, Natalia Kratiuk emphasized that the project is only formally coming to an end. The primary plan for the future is the creation of a “School of Trainers.” This will allow for the scaling of experience and the training of new peer mentors with various types of amputations, who can professionally provide support based on the “peer-to-peer” principle nationwide.

The project leader also voiced recommendations for state authorities regarding the integration of such approaches into the official rehabilitation system and the inclusion of peer mentors in multidisciplinary teams.

Introducing the “Self-Reliance Guide” — a unique practical manual for veterans who have lost limbs (specifically arms), created within the framework of the “Peer-to-Peer: Support for Veterans with Amputations” project. It is based on the real-life experience of Oleksandr Tereshchenko and offers proven methods for returning to an independent daily life.
Why is this guide vital?
Real solutions for daily challenges: How to independently make the bed, shave without hands, prepare breakfast (even fried eggs or coffee), and manage hygiene issues.
Space tuning: Specific advice on how to adapt the bathroom, kitchen, and tools to your needs using ordinary items (plastic zip ties, silicone mats, wristbands).
Mobility and travel: Experience driving a car using residual limbs and life hacks for independent trips.
Direct access to experience: The document contains links to video instructions with specific timestamps, where every movement is shown in practice.

Download, the Self-Reliance Guide, use it, and share it with those whom it will help find confidence!

The guide was created with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation. The guide represents the position of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the position of the International Renaissance Foundation.

To your attention, the Quest of Independence — an interactive game in the Google Form format, allowing one to go through the hero’s path of adaptation and find options for solving everyday tasks.

The quest is based on the game “three answers — one truth.” In the process of passing, you can watch videos with correct answers.

Key features:

Interactivity — for every correct answer, the user receives points, allowing them to determine their “adaptation rank.”

Visualization — links to video materials demonstrating specific ways of performing actions are added to each task.

Practicality — all advice is based on the real experience of veteran Oleksandr Tereshchenko and offers non-standard, but effective solutions for daily challenges.

This unique text quest offers you to live through the experience of a veteran who lost both hands and feel all the challenges and victories on the path to self-sufficiency. Each of your decisions will help to better understand the daily life and unbreakable strength of spirit of a person who is mastering the world anew.

Follow the link to go through this path personally and discover for yourself a new depth of resilience — https://forms.gle/3HcmqUt2sS1xJn6j8

The Quest of Independence was created by Susanna Anhelova, psychologist-methodologist of our project “Peer-to-Peer: Support for Veterans with Amputations.”

The Quest of Independence was created with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation. The Quest of Independence represents the position of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the position of the International Renaissance Foundation.