A large-scale event titled ‘Unity Day: New Opportunities for Mental Health’ was held in the Odessa region, organized within the framework of the mental health program ‘How Are You?’ initiated by the First Lady Olena Zelenska in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine.
This event showcased how sports and physical activity can serve as essential tools for enhancing mental health and recovering from stress. The core message was that physical activity is accessible to everyone. Participants included local residents: veterans, internally displaced persons, families with children, seniors, mothers with babies, and sports professionals.
At the main location of the ‘Active Parks’ project in Odessa, on Soborna Square, various activities were presented. Anna Velychko, the regional coordinator of the ‘How Are You?’ program, along with a team from the Balta community, engaged in activities such as korfball, floorball, panaball, dodgeball, badminton, and more.
Alongside the main event, Unity Days took place in other communities across Odessa. In the Oknian community, around 40 participants gathered in a local park, including IDPs, people with disabilities, seniors, youth, and psychologists. They conducted physical activities and games for both children and adults. In the Podil community, over 50 participants—parents with children and coaches—actively engaged in outdoor physical activities on the volleyball court of the stadium.
The Dobroslav community gathered over 70 individuals in the ‘Shchedryk’ park, where veterans, IDPs, people with disabilities, and youth had the opportunity to spend time together actively.
In the Krasnosil community, around 100 participants gathered in the village of Ivanove, where sporting activities were held at the locations of the ‘Active Parks’ for various age groups.
The Bereziv community organized the event at the base of Lyceum No. 3, involving 30 participants of different ages.
In the Chornomorsk settlement, the event gathered about 30 elderly individuals and people with disabilities in a local park, where trainers conducted accessible exercises to maintain physical fitness.
In the Velykodalnytska community, in the village of Petrodolynske, 38 participants—children and youth—took part in active games.
After the public part of the event, a meeting took place between local coordinators of the ‘Active Parks’ project and mental health service providers. They introduced the ‘Mental Health Service Route in the Community’, a convenient guide for redirecting people to the necessary specialists.
In total, Unity Day reached 458 participants across various communities in Odessa. The event reaffirmed that mental and physical health are closely linked, and recovery can start with a simple step—stepping into an ‘Active Park’ location.
This time, the event was part of a priority project of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine within the ‘How Are You?’ mental health program initiated by the First Lady Olena Zelenska.
The development and implementation of the ‘How Are You?’ program is supported by the Coordination Center of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, with expert assistance from the World Health Organization.
