World Mental Health Day 2022
At IsraAID, we make mental health and well-being a global priority – every day. Focusing on the mental health and well-being of IsraAID staff, partners, and the communities we support is essential to our work. In Ukraine, millions of people are affected by conflict, displacement and an unclear future. Protecting and supporting their well-being is crucial to making sure affected communities can respond to this ongoing emergency and recover their lives – and their futures.
A key part of this is looking out for the mental health and well-being of our expert teams themselves. To share a little bit of what that means, and why it’s important, we asked some of our Ukrainian team members, who have been living through the same difficult situation as the communities they are working with, what mental health means to them. Here’s what they had to say:
Tymofii Druzhynin, Protection Coordinator
“Mental health for me is about the number of moments I can enjoy, benefit from, and share with others. The more of these moments I have in my life, the healthier I am mentally.”
Mariia Pidkapka, HR, Admin, and Finance Officer
“Mental health for me is understanding your feelings and emotions — if they are reactions to something that is happening right now and short-term or if they are something deeper and more long-term. If I am able to support my community and help people without feeling burnout or while enjoying it, I feel healthy.”
Mariana Studentova, Protection Facilitator
“Mental health for me is about my general well-being, making sure I have the ability to work effectively, fulfill myself in society, and deal with everyday stress.”
Roman Kardash, Protection Facilitator
“Mental health for me is the ability to enjoy life and have positive interactions with my environment and community.”
Anna Pantiukhova, Translator and Communications Officer
“Mental health for me is an internal state when one is able to go to work every day and manage not just to earn a living but to also enjoy the process. You can then come home to your family and not want to shout at them, even if they made mistakes, but rather hug them, let them feel your love, and feel theirs in return. It’s a state that allows you to see the bright side of whatever happens, enjoy your life, and be effective enough to improve your world – however big or small it is.”
IsraAID is responding to the crisis in Ukraine through Mental Health & Psychosocial Support, medical care, refugee support, and urgent humanitarian aid distributions. To support our work, donate here.
