A Mobile Rehabilitation Launched in Sarny to Provide Comprehensive Support for War-Affected Individuals

SARNY, December 10, 2025 — A new mobile rehabilitation unit has opened in Sarny, providing comprehensive support for veterans, their families, and civilians affected by the full-scale war. The official opening took place on December 10 and was attended by representatives of public institutions, local authorities, civil society organizations, and project partners.

The unit was created as part of a social franchise implemented by the “Mindy” charity fund, in partnership with the Coordination Center for Mental Health of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the “Barrier-Free” NGO, within the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program “How Are You?”, initiated by First Lady Olena Zelenska. The project was made possible with the support of the members of the “Business Without Barriers” community—Visa and Oschadbank—as well as the Rivne Regional State Administration.

“Supporting veterans is one of the key priorities for the Rivne Regional State Administration. Currently, we are building a new wing at the regional veterans’ hospital. Recently, in cooperation with Nova Poshta, a modular town was opened there. Construction of a rehabilitation center is underway in Dubno. And these are only the large-scale projects. The opening of the mobile rehabilitation unit in Sarny is another step along this path. This project is a strong example of effective cooperation at multiple levels,” said Liudmyla Shatkovska, Deputy Head of the Rivne Regional State Administration.

The key operational partner of the project was the Sarny City Council, which ensured the full cycle of local integration, including forming the client base, allocating and preparing the land plot, logistics and delivery of the unit, landscaping, and utility connection. This enabled the unit to be launched quickly and efficiently and operate at a high standard.

“For our community, this unit is not just a new space but another element of ongoing support for war-affected people who strive to regain a high quality of life. This is a truly efficient partnership. I am grateful to Oschadbank, Visa, and the “Mindy” charity fund for their proactive stance and high social responsibility. We have long been moving towards developing a network of rehabilitation services, and this step confirms that we are not stopping. Our goal is to ensure that every person in the Sarny community has access to modern, evidence-based rehabilitation close to home. The entire complex will work toward one main objective: helping people return to active life. This is a powerful example of how even during war, it is possible to create infrastructure that changes the approach to medical help,” noted Ruslan Serpeninov, Mayor of Sarny.

The 72-square-meter unit is fully equipped to provide comprehensive physical, psychological, social, and vocational rehabilitation. The multidisciplinary team includes a physician specializing in physical and rehabilitation medicine, a physical therapist, a psychologist, a speech therapist, an occupational therapist, a case manager, and a legal consultant. Key areas of support include physical rehabilitation and gait training with prosthetics, prosthetics support, occupational therapy, speech recovery, psychological counseling and peer support groups, and legal assistance, as well as employment and retraining support.

“At the core of this space is a philosophy of partnership and mutual support. When authorities and communities invest in their people, and businesses contribute to progress, we can create a resilient and effective environment, where recovery ensures dignity for everyone,” said Oksana Zbitnieva, Head of the “Barrier-Free” NGO and Head of the Coordination Center for Mental Health of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

This is the tenth rehabilitation unit opened in Ukraine through cooperation between the state, civil society, and socially responsible businesses. For the Rivne region, it is the first project of this kind. The network of accessible rehabilitation and psychosocial services continues to expand, bringing support closer to people in different regions.

“Today, high-quality rehabilitation has become a symbol of our resilience. We are extremely proud to be involved in this field and to open the tenth unit for veterans and people affected by the full-scale invasion. Our rehabilitation spaces serve as points of support that help people stand firmly again, move forward with confidence, and live full lives. We are happy to receive feedback from hundreds of visitors in each city and are actively working to expand the network of rehabilitation units. We are grateful to our partners for their ongoing support,” said Oleksandr Pinkas, Social Franchise Implementation Specialist for Communities at the “Mindy” charity fund.

“Visa consistently supports solutions that help communities become more resilient, inclusive, and technologically advanced. Rehabilitation units are a practical way to ensure access to essential services as close as possible to where people live. We see this as a long-term investment in Ukraine’s recovery and human potential. The opening of the Sarny unit is an important step that strengthens the national support network for veterans and civilians,” said Tetiana Chorna, Visa Vice President and Country Manager for Ukraine.

Following the official ceremony, participants toured the rehabilitation space, exploring the equipment, care pathways, and the multidisciplinary team’s working model. Specialists presented their approaches to physical, psychological, and social rehabilitation, as well as prosthetics support, speech recovery, and family assistance.

“More than two years have passed since Oschadbank relaunched its inclusive program ‘My Barrier-Free World.’ Support for veteran rehabilitation and reintegration plays a key role in this initiative. Opening rehabilitation units is one of the priorities in this field of work. We are fully aware that the war changed the lives of thousands of Ukrainians, and they need not abstract support but a concrete place where they can recover physically, mentally, and socially. Such projects give people strength to move forward and create spaces where they are heard and truly supported by skilled specialists. It is important for us that such solutions become the norm throughout the country. Therefore, we will continue to support the opening of units, as well as implement other veteran-focused projects, which we perceive as an investment in the people and the future of Ukraine, where defenders of our country will certainly play a key role,” said Anton Tiutiun, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Oschadbank.

The new unit will become an important resource for the community, offering modern, barrier-free, evidence-based care close to home and supporting veterans, active military personnel, and civilians on their path to physical recovery, psychological stability, and reintegration into everyday life.

About Visa

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at visa.com.ua.

About Oschadbank

Oschadbank is the leading Ukrainian universal commercial bank, 100% of whose shares belong to the state. Oschadbank has the largest network of branches and provides services to about 6 million active clients: individuals, small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as the largest private and state-owned companies in Ukraine.

About the “Mindy" charity fund

The “Mindy" charity fund was founded in 2022 with the aim of adapting veterans to civilian life. By the end of 2023, Mindy has provided more than 3,000 free sessions of psychosocial assistance and physical rehabilitation. Based on this experience, the team created a new social franchise project that provides much-needed free services in small towns in Ukraine.

About the “Barrier-Free” NGO

Center for coordination of expertise and promotion of barrier-free accessibility as a new social norm. The “Barrier-Free” NGO is an executive partner of the First Lady Olena Zelenska's initiative “Without Barriers”, aimed at creating equal opportunities for all Ukrainians, and the initiative to develop and implement the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program.