On August 5, 2025, the first meeting within the framework of the new social project “Peer-to-Peer: Supporting Veterans with Amputations” took place at the All-Ukrainian Medical and Rehabilitation Center “Tsybli.” This initiative is aimed at helping servicemen who lost limbs as a result of combat operations adapt to a new life and prepare for prosthetics.

The event was designed as live communication between veterans who have already completed their rehabilitation journey and those just beginning this challenging process. The project’s mentors — Oleksandr Tereshchenko, a veteran living with arm amputations, and Oleksandr Shvetsov, who lives with a leg amputation — shared practical advice and personal experiences.

The program included a series of workshops held directly in the Center’s wards. Oleksandr Tereshchenko demonstrated ways to perform everyday tasks without the use of arms or prosthetics, while Oleksandr Shvetsov shared life hacks for achieving independence in daily life for veterans with lower-limb amputations.

After the practical part, participants gathered in the Center’s hall to watch the motivational video “I Did It – and So Can You,” created by the project team. The video offered recommendations on performing basic tasks without prosthetics, such as brushing teeth, making a bed, or maintaining personal hygiene. Although the assembly hall was inaccessible to persons with disabilities due to architectural barriers, the organizers ensured a comfortable and inclusive atmosphere for communication.

During the event, veterans had the opportunity to exchange experiences, ask questions, and receive answers from mentors who had already overcome similar challenges. To support the development of methodological recommendations, participants were surveyed, and the entire communication process was recorded on video for analysis by a psychologist-methodologist.

Project manager Natalka Kratyuk presented a handbook with detailed information on obtaining rehabilitation aids through the state program of the Fund for Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities.

 

The implementation of the project was made possible thanks to the support of the International Renaissance Foundation and its partners: the Fund for Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities, the Public Union “Modern View,” the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine, the Coalition of Veteran Spaces, and the Ukrainian Documentary Platform.