«Life after the war»: Mykolaiv cyborg helps veterans who have lost their sight

Oleksandr Tereshchenko, a veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war from Mykolaiv, together with a team of like-minded people, implements the project «Life after the war». Its goal is to help people who lost their sight in the war to become more independent in their everyday lives and better navigate in space. 40 veterans completed the training.

This is reported by Ukrinform.

«We are implementing the project «Life after the war» together with the National Assembly of People with Disabilities, the Charitable Foundation «We Will See Victory» and the public association of people with visual disabilities «Modern View». It is aimed at helping veterans who have lost their sight to navigate in space and cope with everyday life,» said Tereshchenko.

According to his information, the number of people who have lost their sight due to the war is increasing, and many of them are isolated, staying at home. As part of the project, seven meetings were already held, where about 40 veterans acquired new skills. Trainers who themselves have lost their sight help other veterans on a peer-to-peer basis.

Participants learn to use a white cane and mobile applications for orientation on the street and in everyday life. Training takes place in rehabilitation centers, in particular in the Western Rehabilitation and Sports Center in Lviv region.

«We went to the village of Yavoriv in the Lviv region to the Western Rehabilitation and Sports Center of the National Committee for Sports of People with Disabilities, which has all the appropriate conditions. At first, the training participants learned to navigate with a cane indoors. A psychologist worked with them. This is very important, because it is very difficult for people to «come out of the darkness» and start doing something on their own, especially for those who have been in this state for a long time,» said Oleksandr.

According to him, the next stage was a trip to the city of Rivne, where the participants went shopping and used public transport.

As the veteran noted, in addition to group trainings, trainers visit veterans' homes to help adapt the acquired skills to specific living conditions and work out routes to shops, pharmacies and hospitals.

It was previously reported that the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine allocated subventions for the payment of monetary compensation for the purchase of housing under three budget programs for a total amount of 5.7 billion hryvnias, foreseen for 2024.

In addition, mutual aid groups for wives and partners of servicemen, as well as family members of fallen soldiers, will start working in Mykolaiv. To join the mutual help group, you need to fill out a short application form at the link. After registration, the organizers will contact you within a week. Participation in the project is free.