(ANS – Krakow) – The Salesian Missionary Volunteers (SWM) “Młodzi Światu” of the Kraków Province (PLS) are launching the MSZ project “Polish Aid to Ukraine”!
SWM leaders have joyfully announced that the organisation has received a grant from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MSZ in Polish), as part of the “Polska Pomoc 2026” programme (Polish Aid to Ukraine), to implement the project: “Silni mimo wszystko. Poprawa dostępu do rehabilitacji dla weteranów wojennych i młodzieży niepełnosprawnej poprzez stworzenie Centrum Rehabilitacji i Sportów Adaptacyjnych w Żytomierzu” (Strong Despite Everything. Improving access to rehabilitation for war veterans and young people with disabilities through the creation of a Rehabilitation and Adaptive Sports Centre in Zhytomyr).
The project will be implemented in two phases between 2026 and 2027 in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine, in collaboration with the Don Bosco Catholic Sports Club. It is there that the Rehabilitation and Adaptive Sports Centre will be built – a facility designed for people who, due to the war or for other reasons, have lost their motor function and require professional support to regain their independence and return to an active life.
The centre will serve people with disabilities, with a particular focus on war veterans. Since the start of the large-scale invasion, the number of people in Ukraine requiring long-term rehabilitation has been steadily rising. Behind every statistic is a person who longs to return to their daily life: to their family, their work and their passions.
The project will also involve children and young people with disabilities, for whom sport can become not only a form of rehabilitation, but also a way to develop their talents, build self-confidence and make new friends. Psychological support will also be extended to participants’ family members, as the process of regaining physical abilities involves the whole of the person with a disability life context.
The loss of physical abilities does not necessarily mean the loss of one’s dreams, activities or place in society. For years, adapted sport has proven to be an effective tool for rehabilitation: it helps restore strength, improves physical fitness, promotes mental wellbeing and enables people to believe in their own abilities once again.
In the Zhytomyr region there are still far too few facilities of this kind. The project addresses the real need to create an accessible centre where people with disabilities can benefit free of charge from rehabilitation services, professional support and training tailored to their abilities. This represents an investment not only in the participants’ health, but also in their independence, social integration and a better quality of life.
The first step will involve refurbishing the part of the building comprising the gym, changing rooms, the corridor and four rooms. These will be fitted out to house rehabilitation studios, a weights room and the Centre’s office.
The high quality of the services offered will be ensured by specialists in rehabilitation and sports medicine, who will take part in specialist formation courses aimed at improving their skills.
The project will also promote amp-football, which already offers many people with amputations the chance to lead an active life. The “Tytani” amp-football team – the only one in the Zhytomyr region, active since 2024 – will increase its squad to 30 players, and its training facilities and staff will be significantly expanded.
At the same time, a mini-football section will be set up for 20 children and young people with disabilities, so that the youngest participants can nurture their passions from the very start and build confidence in their abilities.
The project will also secure the future of adapted sports in the region. Fifteen new coaches will be trained to work with people with disabilities and will be able to set up new teams and run courses in other towns.
Training camps and formation courses will be organised for the new athletes, whilst the Centre’s activities will be promoted through a media campaign designed to help dispel stereotypes about disability and highlight the important role sport can play in the rehabilitation process.
This concerns the first phase, whilst the second phase involves expanding the Centre’s offering to include new sports disciplines, but that is a matter for next year…
This is a project that will leave a legacy of more than just a refurbished building. It will leave behind a place where, every day, people can regain their physical fitness, self-confidence, new skills and the conviction that, despite their wartime experiences, they can still lead an active, dignified and fulfilling life.
The project is co-financed from the state budget as part of the Polish development cooperation programme of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Source: SWM, Kraków
