“I did - so can YOU” social adaptation project for veterans with amputations is launched in Ukraine
On November 06, 2024, the Media Center Ukraine hosted a presentation of the “I did - so can YOU” project aimed at social adaptation of people with limb amputations.
The project was conceived and authored by Oleksandr Tereshchenko, head of an International Charity Foundation and veteran of the russo-Ukrainian war. Oleksandr has amputations of both upper limbs and acts as the lead character in instructional videos. Using his own experience, he shows specific ways to do certain everyday household tasks and encourages other veterans with similar amputations to share their experience.
Our project is designed, primarily, to help as many veterans as possible, those who have lost their limbs and are now only at the beginning of this journey, those who have no idea how to live their lives. Many of them are asking the question: “Is this life worth living at all when I am unable to do what I was used to do before, when I am helpless, and depend on others.” We want to give specific recommendations on how to start making small steps towards independence and success, stressed Oleksandr Tereshchenko.
The goal of the project is to create 12 videos with recommendations for various everyday situations. A printed manual with a detailed description of all the steps will also be included. 12 podcasts on social adaptation matters will be posted on social media and online platforms. The first videos of the project are available on YouTube
Larysa Pokalchuk, the film director of the project, says that their team’s plan is to edit instructional videos and post them online throughout the year until August 2025.
She stresses that the main goal of each video is to create accessible consultations for people with an amputation. “We set ourselves a goal to create more than just videos with recommendations but products that you can watch, listen to, and read. It is very important since we work with veterans with various needs, noted Larysa.
Valerii Kucherenko, a veteran who lost both his hands, explained his motivation to join the project at the press conference. He seeks to show that life after injury does not stop but becomes a new stage.
I would like to share what I have managed to achieve this year to help prepare the brothers-in-arms morally and physically for their future life, says Valerii. In his video on TikTok, he shows how to drive a car, cook food, and do other daily routines. Valerii also visits his brothers-in-arms in hospitals, gives them recommendations and supports them on their path to recovery. And participation in the “I did - so can YOU” project is one of such ways.
Many people do not realize what challenges the veterans, both men and women, encounter after being wounded, in their everyday lives. The project helps them to see and understand these realities. It creates a space where everyone is offered the opportunity to understand real daily difficulties the veterans face, and to realize the strength and determination necessary to move forward. We mean not only practical advice for routine tasks, but also emotional support which assists in overcoming barriers on the path to independence, says Marta Pyvovarenko, consultant on inclusion and psychosocial support issues of the “I did - so can YOU” project and Head of Department "Quality Assurance for MHPSS Services" at the NGO “Community Self-Help”.
Oleksandr Tereshchenko added that these recommendations might be useful not only for people with amputations but also for ergotherapists and rehabilitologists who work with patients with amputations. In addition, these recommendations may be useful for relatives making it clear how they can help someone with an amputation to become an independent person.
The “I did - so can YOU” project is implemented by the Oleksandr Tereshchenko International Foundation with support of the Department for Press, Education, and Culture of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine. The views and opinions expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Government.
Partners of the project are:
NGO “Community Self-Help” NGO “NEWDONBAS“, docUAPlatform, East Media Center Consortium of the Veterans Organization of the East, and digital communication agency “MasAgency”.
