When the Pain Becomes a Part of You
The program's first residential trainings, launched by Nova Ukraine and its partners, were recently held in Ukraine's Volyn Oblast. Mariia, a support specialist, almost didn't attend. Leaving the veterans and families she supported for three days filled her with guilt she couldn't shake. She worried about how they would manage without her. But when she found herself among psychologists, social workers, healthcare professionals, and community specialists who shared the same responsibilities, something changed. “I came here thinking I couldn't leave the veterans and families I support,” she said. “Instead, I realized something I hadn't allowed myself to admit: we need support too.”