A new Veterans Support Centre has opened in Chernivtsi, serving the city and neighbouring communities in the region. The initiative to create the centre came from the NGO “Dignity of Bukovyna” and local authorities. The European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine supported this initiative, allocating over EUR 37,000 for its implementation as part of the small grants programme.

Veterans report high levels of trust in NGOs, according to a reSCORE data study showing that 74 percent of surveyed veterans trust them somewhat or fully. As a result, UNDP in Ukraine, along with its partners, actively invests in civil society initiatives to create dignified and high-quality conditions for the full reintegration of men and women returning to civilian life after the war.

At the centre, veterans and their families will be able to receive professional psychological help and contact case managers. The latter will provide support to veterans and their families, guiding them to receive various services or redirecting them to relevant specialists.

The centre will also organize training sessions on grant opportunities and business management. A separate focus of the centre will be promoting the psychological and social adaptation of veterans, including group classes on communication skills and interpersonal relations. Experts at the centre intend to help veterans recover and adapt more easily to civilian life after their military experience.

Stefan Schleuning, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Ukraine, noted that the EU highly appreciates community efforts in support of veteran reintegration. “We are honoured to work on this joint initiative in Chernivtsi,” Mr Schleuning said. “The newly established centre will provide more services to veterans, both men and women, and to their families. We are convinced that a network of such community-based centres will contribute to a comprehensive support system for veterans, helping in their transition to civilian life and offering effective re-entry practices.”

Christophoros Politis, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Ukraine, emphasized that support programmes at community level are playing a key role in the reintegration of veterans and the overall recovery of Ukraine. “Our strategic priority is to create inclusive and dignified conditions for the reintegration of veterans at all levels,” Mr Politis said. “Centres like the one in Chernivtsi contribute to better realization of veterans and their engagement in community life. We at UNDP are proud to be contributing to this.”

Background

The Veterans Support Centre was created by the NGO “Dignity of Bukovyna”, in partnership with the Department of Social Policy of the Chernivtsi City Council and the Chernivtsi City Centre of Social Services, with the assistance of UNDP in Ukraine and financial support from the European Union, provided within the framework of the “EU4Recovery — Empowering Communities in Ukraine” project. 

Media enquiries: Yuliia Samus, UNDP Ukraine Head of Communications; e-mail: yuliia.samus@undp.org