Self-care can seem like such a simple, ordinary thing. But in wartime, even the most basic things become hard to reach for many women.

When life is spent in constant stress, exhaustion, and a daily struggle with new challenges, there’s little strength or time left for one’s own health.

That’s why, during every session of the Voice of Romni summer camp, we hold lectures on healthy eating. This isn’t just a conversation about food — it’s an important part of our participants’ physical and psychological recovery. After all, the path to recovery begins with the basics: learning to listen to your body, understanding its needs, and making choices that help you feel better.

The lectures are led by rehabilitation physician Iolanta Stanchak. She has a gift for breaking down complex processes into something simple and accessible, so that every woman can easily apply what she learns to her everyday life.

“I talk to them about the bacteria that live inside us. Whatever you feed them is what grows. The most important question when it comes to eating is: why do I crave something sweet? It’s not you who wants it — it’s your unhealthy bacteria talking. Actually, just today one participant told me, ‘From now on I’ll eat my fish with dark bread instead of croissants.’ That’s already such a great step — when I see that something I said got through, and people show me right away that they’re going to start doing things differently,” says Iolanta.

We’re convinced that real recovery is only possible through a comprehensive approach. That’s why psychologists, rehabilitation specialists, and other professionals work alongside these women, helping them recover, find their inner resources, and learn to care for themselves in every area of life.

Among the camp’s participants are women with children who were forced to leave their homes because of the war. Olha Sadova is an internally displaced person from temporarily occupied Nova Kakhovka in the Kherson region. Together with her sons, she found new strength to keep moving forward:

“I came to understand that I need to take care of my health and pay attention to my body, so I can be more active. I had three intensive sessions with psychologist Iryna. Besides our group sessions, we also worked one-on-one. If before I didn’t know which direction to go, now I’m leaving here knowing what to do next, how to keep living,” says camp participant Olha Sadova.

It’s for moments and changes like these that we create this space of recovery, time and again. We want every woman who comes to camp with her children to feel support, care, and understanding. We want her to know: she is not alone, and there is someone looking out for her. And that is so often the first — but truly vital — step toward learning to care for herself again.

The summer camp runs as part of the project “Comprehensive Support and Psychosocial Rehabilitation for Vulnerable Families in the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and Sumy Regions,” implemented by ARW “Voice of Romni” with the support of the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

@voice.of.romni 🫂 У кожному заїзді літнього табору «Голосу Ромні» проходять лекції зі здорового харчування. Лікарка-реабілітологиня Іоланта Станчак допомагає учасницям простими словами зрозуміти, як харчування впливає на фізичне й психологічне відновлення та як маленькі зміни можуть покращити самопочуття. 🔄 Ми віримо, що відновлення можливе лише завдяки комплексній підтримці. Поруч із жінками працюють психологи, реабілітологи та інші фахівці, допомагаючи знайти внутрішні ресурси й навчитися дбати про себе. 🥹 Ми створюємо такий простір, щоб кожна жінка відчула підтримку, турботу й знала: вона не сама. 🔻 Літній табір триває в межах проєкту «Комплексна підтримка та психосоціальна реабілітація для вразливих сімей у Дніпропетровській, Запорізькій, Харківській та Сумській областях», що реалізується громадською організацією «Об’єднання ромських жінок «Голос Ромні» за підтримки International Rescue Committee in Ukraine. #літнійтабір #відновлення #Закарпаття ♬ оригінальний аудіозапис – Voice of Romni / Голос Ромні