The public organization "Zaporizhzhia. Platform for Joint Action" has received an award from the First Lady's All-Ukrainian Mental Health Programme "How Are You?" with which it has been cooperating for almost a year.
During the award ceremony, the organisation representatives noted that over this period they had implemented a number of important initiatives for veterans and their families in Zaporizhzhia.
Dmytro Khalilov, Director of the NGO "Zaporizhzhia. Platform for Joint Action," founded in 2018 by Metinvest, outlined the key areas of this cooperation.
"We had regular meetings as part of the 'Speak Up. Veteran' project. Several meetings were organised specifically for school and university students. We also held workshops with specialists and employees of the Veteran Policy Department, and with community representatives working with veterans," said Dmytro KHALILOV.
Over this period, veterans and their families received comprehensive support in addressing various issues – from legal assistance and social protection to access to medical services, rehabilitation, retraining, and employment.
Some of the events, including a number of workshops, were held at the "Veteran. PRO" hub, created with the participation of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine, the Zaporizhzhia City Council, and with the financial support of Metinvest.
Serhii Druzhynin, Regional Coordinator of the "How Are You?" programme, also highlighted the effectiveness of the joint initiatives.
"We worked in the format of a veterans' community, where young people learn how to communicate with veterans in a respectful and appropriate way. We also cooperated with community representatives, support specialists, and the employment centre, which veterans turn to after returning from the war to find jobs. This cooperation proved to be very productive and ultimately led to 'Platform for Joint Action' receiving recognition from All-Ukrainian Mental Health Programme 'How Are You?' this year," said Serhii DRUZHYNIN.
One of the most significant achievements was the launch of a directory of available services for veterans, developed jointly with the programme.
Dmytro Khalilov emphasised:
"One of the key areas and achievements of our cooperation with the 'How Are You?' programme is the development and implementation of a services directory for veterans, which currently includes 27 organisations. We are not stopping there – the directory is constantly being updated and expanded, and we continue to invite new organisations to join the project. The directory is available on our website and social media pages, as well as on the Zaporizhzhia City Council’s website."
The directory can be accessed via the link.
Representatives of civil society and socially responsible businesses emphasise that while much has already been accomplished, the potential for further development is even greater.
Iraizat MAHOMEDALIIEVA, Head of a division at the Regional Development Department of the Metinvest Group, commented:
"Today, there is no doubt that veteran policy must be a top priority. For us, as a socially responsible business, it is important to act not afterward, but together and proactively. Many of our joint projects emerged precisely because we identified the need and sought effective solutions immediately – because veteran policy is something that cannot be postponed."
The team of "Platform for Joint Action" is convinced that supporting veterans is not a one-time initiative but ongoing daily work that requires unity and humanity. The recognition received only strengthens their motivation to move forward and do even more for those who defended the country.
