Boryspil International Airport hosted a large-scale event on Mental Health Day as part of the All-Ukrainian mental health program «How Are U?»’

11 October 2024

On October 10, 2024, the event “Moments of Resilience Every Day” was held at Boryspil International Airport on the occasion of Mental Health Day as part of a program aimed to creation of a culture of care for mental health in Ukraine. The event was supported by Coordination Center for Mental Health of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the UNICEF office in Ukraine, as part of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program ‘How are U?’ initiated by Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine.The event focused on raising awareness of the importance of taking care of mental health and making it a daily habit, and providing information on tools and services available to children and adults, especially to the most vulnerable groups. Ukrainians need to talk about resilience, because the resilience of each of us creates the resilience of the whole nation, which grows from one person to millions.

Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine, took part in the event. In her speech, she emphasised the importance of resilience, which must be nurtured, and noted that holding this event at Boryspil Airport was very symbolic.‘It is a pleasure to be at Boryspil Airport, this place is associated with many memories – the most wonderful adventures of all Ukrainians began here. Today, the airport has become our meeting place because the main air gate of Ukraine is also a symbol of our social resilience. That is our metaphor of today for mental health – how to be okay when everything around you is not very okay, not in ideal conditions, but to be and live fully.’

The event space was decorated with installations symbolizing the path to sustainability. Visitors were able to learn self-help techniques to regulate their own mental health. Thanks to the interactive format, the installations located in Terminal D of Boryspil Airport helped the participants of the event to better understand the importance of self-care, know how to maintain balance and maintain emotional well-being.‘Boryspil Airport has become part of the global movement to raise awareness of mental health, which is becoming increasingly important in the modern world. Together, we are creating a new culture of mental health in Ukraine, where taking care of yourself and your loved ones becomes an integral part of life. Despite all the challenges, Boryspil Airport is continuing to overcome all difficulties and remain a flagship of resilience in this time of trial. After all, we know why and for whom we are standing. We are resilient for the sake of our aviation, for the sake of passengers, for the sake of future peaceful flights. And today we are proud to be an inspiring example, because resilience is an integral part of our Victory,’ said Oleksiy Dubrevskyy, Boryspil International Airport CEO.It should be noted that Boryspil International Airport was selected as the basic infrastructure facility where barrier-free standards will be implemented and subsequently scaled up to other airports in Ukraine. The project is being implemented as part of the National Strategy for the Creation of Barrier-Free Space in Ukraine until 2030, which was developed and approved under the initiative of First Lady Olena Zelenska and pursuant to a decree of the President of Ukraine.