Media Center Ukraine Producer Department

The project is aimed at military personnel in Kyiv for rotation or recovering from injuries. The project’s goal is to help servicemembers who have just returned from the front line recover psychologically and physically, relieve stress, improve their mood, and boost morale.

The methodology, developed by Hanna Buraho, a Gestalt therapist and the founder of the Spirit Rehabilitation Center, is based on interacting with animals (horses, dogs, and cats).

Group sessions in hippotherapy, canine therapy, and psychotherapy are conducted with groups of 12 military personnel. The sessions consist of several stages. First, participants gather in a circle and work with a psychotherapist. Then, they move to the stable where they get acquainted with the horses, groom them, and treat them with snacks under the supervision of a hippotherapist. Finally, they ride the horses and perform exercises with them.

Since its inception in the summer of 2022, the project has attracted approximately 5,000 participants.

Journalists may cover the Spirit Warrior project by prior arrangement.

• animals
• culture
• military
• psychological support
• Kyiv

If you are interested in this topic, you can obtain the subjects’ contacts from the Producer Department of Media Center Ukraine.

Media are invited to attend the presentation of the National Psychological Association’s Helpline activity results on December 11. The helpline has been operating for three and a half years and has become one of the key crisis support services during the full-scale war. The event will take place in Kyiv.

During the event, the NPA will present:

• Statistical data on the total number of inquiries over 3.5 years;
• Information on the types of inquiries and the most common issues raised by callers;
• Analysis of changes in demand during different periods of the war;
• The role of the helpline in supporting vulnerable population groups.

Participants:

• Valeriia Palii, Co-founder of the NPA Helpline, Vice President of the NPA, Academic Director of the Psychology program at KSE, practicing psychologist;
• Diana Shkarpitko, psychologist and trauma therapist at the NPA Helpline, facilitator of support groups for military families and training sessions for specialists;
• Svitlana Iliashenko, psychiatrist at the NPA Helpline with over 20 years of experience, child psychiatrist, member of the Ukrainian Psychiatric Association and the International Association of Psychologists.

Journalists must register for the event.

• psychological support
• Kyiv

If you are interested in this topic, you can obtain the subjects’ contacts from the Producer Department of Media Center Ukraine.

The Forum of Donor Initiatives of Ukraine will be held in Lviv on December 19, bringing together key participants of the donor movement. The event will serve as an important platform for sharing experiences, discussing current issues, and developing new initiatives in the field of donation.

The forum aims to establish a network of partners for donor initiatives and develop unified communication strategies and messages to promote donation in Ukraine. One of the key tasks is formulating a joint action plan for 2026 that includes specific steps for developing and improving the donation system. Forum participants will prepare an analytical report with recommendations for the Ministry of Health and public organizations to improve the situation in the field.

The program includes:

• Speeches by key speakers, including representatives from the National Blood Center, international partners, organizations, and local initiatives;
• Panel discussions addressing various aspects of the national blood system, including challenges and solutions for improving the efficiency of blood collection and storage and the role of volunteer initiatives in crisis situations;
• Presentations of donor initiatives. Participants will share successful practices and introduce new ideas and projects that have transformed the landscape of the donor movement in Ukraine.

Journalists must register for the event.

Background: The forum is held within the framework of the project “Your Blood. My Life. Our Victory” implemented with the support of Veteran Media, People’s Self-Defense of Lviv Region, the First Primary Healthcare Center of Lviv, and the Eskulab laboratory network. The Lviv City Council also assists with this project.

• Lviv

If you are interested in this topic, you can obtain the subjects’ contacts from the Producer Department of Media Center Ukraine.