Representatives of Zaporizhzhia municipalities underwent training at Oplich HUB.
A lecture from the Oplich HUB community centre, established by the UN Global Compact in Ukraine, was conducted with support from the USAID "Building a Resilient Public Health System" project, and in collaboration with Metinvest Group and Zaporizhstal. Representatives from Zaporizhzhia communities involved in supporting war veterans attended a meeting with psychologist Liliia Shapovalova.
Veterans returning from the war often seek assistance from community representatives for registering benefits, handling documents, resolving household matters, and most importantly, for support.
The hardest challenge for soldiers transitioning back to civilian life is dealing with the sense of depreciation. Even an employee's tone of voice when speaking with veterans can come across as disrespectful. A condescending and unacceptable attitude. A separate part of the lecture was devoted to this.
“They encountered difficulties in accessing benefits. Veterans are unsure where to go, what steps to take, or where to apply for assistance. That's why we decided to assist them at the community level by creating a veterans' guide that outlines where to apply for different services and when," says Natalia TRETIAK, a participant in the event and deputy village head of the Pavlivka village council.
But this is only one aspect of the work - the real challenge is figuring out how to communicate with people who have endured the horrors of the front lines. Training people in this area is the main focus for the specialists at Oplich HUB.
"Sometimes a soldier goes somewhere and is met with inappropriate questions: “Where did you fight? What direction were you in?” The first thing that comes up in a person’s mind in this situation is distrust,” says Liliia SHAPOVALOVA, a psychologist at Oplich HUB. "The first thing we need to do is respect the experience of soldiers returning from the war. Today, we discussed this issue in the lecture, which is a significant step forward. I believe that moving forward, the participants will have a better understanding, leading to more effective communication."
The participants of the training discussed the challenges of building trust and improving how veterans are perceived by society.
"Society should approach veterans with respect and understanding. It's not veterans who need to adjust to civilian life. Society itself needs to be prepared for the return of veterans to civilian life," says Denys KNYSH, head of the Department of Support for Defenders of Ukraine at Zaporizhzhia City Council.
Oplich Hub specialists are now working to organize similar lectures in communities across Zaporizhzhia region.
There are no universal ways to start a dialogue with a veteran. Anyone beginning a conversation with a soldier can simply start by saying, "Thank you for your service."
It is worth reminding that Oplich HUB is still actively supporting and assisting people in Zaporizhzhia. Over the year of its existence, the hub has significantly expanded its range of services. Initially, the centre's specialists offered individual counselling, group therapy and yoga.
Today, the list of programmes includes master classes for children, wellness fitness, neurogymnastics, painting, tea ceremonies, career guidance and various trainings.
The community centre regularly holds free trainings and master classes for Zaporizhzhia residents and IDPs, both adults and children.
