Before joining GIZ 1½ years ago, I explored various fields, from working as a chef in Odesa while studying International Legal Relations to a brief stint in a regional court. Seeking more meaningful work, I became involved with NGOs advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and working on HIV/AIDS prevention. Later, I gained project management experience in Kyiv, supporting marginalised communities.

In February 2022, when Russia’s war of aggression began, I left Kyiv for Cherkasy to be with my grandparents. I considered military service, but medical issues prevented this. Struggling with depression, I sought psychiatric help, started medication and found comfort in my French Bulldog. As I recovered, I looked for work with a deeper purpose, leading me to my current role at GIZ as an advisor for the mental health project launched in 2023.

The target groups are veterans, their families, widows, internally displaced persons and children affected by war. The war has fundamentally changed Ukrainian communities. Post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety are widespread. Mental health must be a central pillar of recovery alongside economic and infrastructure rebuilding. At GIZ, we are addressing these needs with local and international NGOs and our political partner, the Ministry of Veterans’ Affairs of Ukraine, by training professionals, expanding access to psychosocial support and developing community-based mental health services. One key initiative is a national training curriculum for psychologists and social workers in partnership with the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

Despite these efforts, several challenges still need to be solved, including the lack of access to health services in rural, frontline and occupied areas. To bridge this gap, we are expanding digital mental health solutions such as telemedicine services. One of the biggest barriers is stigma. Many hesitate to seek psychosocial help, fearing it will be seen as weakness. Changing this mindset requires a cultural shift, awareness campaigns and open discussions.

I love my work and believe in its impact. Even after three years of war, leaving Ukraine was never an option. Many people here grow a thick skin to survive, but staying connected to our own emotions matters. I keep my mental balance through therapy, improvisational dance and moments of joy with colleagues.

The only way forward is hope, kindness and solidarity. I choose love, and I choose to care.

Buvaite!

Maksym Vernyhora

February 2025