"From Pain to Freedom 2.0" - winter trip to Carpathians for released captives and veterans in rehab

Public Organization «To.Freedom»

Let's stand strong for military as they stand for us.

Our organization's social media pages and information about our activities https://linktr.ee/do.voli

Imagine a military person with family who never been in mountains before, discovering Carpathian beauty and culture for the first time. Another military overcomes internal barrier that with crutches or prosthetics it's impossible to travel or rest in mountains. Yet another discovers new types of resource therapies – music therapy, art therapy, fairy tale therapy. And someone finds energy and motivation to return to active life and social interaction. This is how our trips usually look and you can also contribute to making this unique journey happen.

Full rehabilitation after traumatic experience, captivity, wounds and amputations is possible only with comprehensive approach, where mental health plays very important role, including impact on physical condition. "To.Freedom" project team offers method we generally call nature therapy. Participants have opportunity to feel support and care from us as society, restore internal resources, make new acquaintances in safe environment, be in nature and feel mountain grandeur. Media and social network coverage of such projects helps society better understand needs and challenges we face during war.

Having experience organizing inclusive mountain trips for disabled people (about 5 years organizational activity in PO «On3wheels» Accessible travels and about 20 events), with full-scale invasion beginning we directed our activity to support those who stood to defend our country, organizing several Carpathian retreats (photos below).

We believe Carpathians heal and cure souls. Supporting our project is your way to thank our defenders, and in next photo report see smiling military person you helped. In difficult times military became our pillars, now it's time for us to become theirs.

Below you can see photos from our previous trips.

Autumn 2024 we conducted three-day trip for disabled veterans, released captives and their families thanks to My City platform fundraising. Huge demand (30+ applications in few days) and positive feedback motivated our team to open winter 4-day trip fundraising. We confirmed again that Carpathians and good people are best combination for resource restoration.

Here's what participants wrote in questionnaires to "Why is this trip important for you"

Post-trip feedback from our participants

And feedback from participant who went through captivity

We also want to share that former participants joined our team. Andriy - veteran with leg amputation, now with us as crisis psychologist. And Hennadiy - veteran released from captivity, role - legal assistance.