A 4-day mental health training retreat for youth workers from Dnipro and Donetsk regions

From 6 to 9 October 2024, an inspiring four-day mental health retreat 🧘‍♀️ for youth workers from the Dnipro and Donetsk regions took place in the picturesque countryside complex ‘KOHAVI’ 🌿 in Orlivka, Dnipro region. This event became a real oasis for emotional reset and the acquisition of valuable self-help skills ❤️‍🩹

Participants had the opportunity to dive into important topics such as:

🧠 Emotional intelligence;

🔥 Prevention of burnout;

🫂 Building healthy relationships 🤝.

Art therapy, resource walks and psychological counselling helped everyone find balance and inner peace. Particular attention was paid to recognising toxic relationships and developing skills for peaceful conflict resolution 💬

The retreat included energisers, a photo shoot of emotions and exercises from the Adolescent Kit manual, which helped participants acquire coaching skills for working with young people.

We would also like to express our gratitude to Lilia Zolkina, Head of the Department of Family, Youth and Mass Events of National and Patriotic Education of the Donetsk Regional State Administration 🙌. Her support was an important contribution to this event, and we are sincerely grateful for her help and assistance!

The retreat ended with a reflection ✨, the presentation of certificates 🎓 and a discussion of plans to implement new knowledge in professional activities. It was not just a training event, but a powerful impetus for emotional recovery and further growth 🚀

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) programme is implemented by Zahidy NGO in partnership with Rise of Ukraine with the information support of Donetsk Regional State Administration and financial support from the German government.