Congratulations to the graduates of the online training course on peer groups facilitation

“To learn how to ride a bike, you must start riding it.” With these words (thanks to Oleksandr Prokopchuk for them), we completed the online training course on peer group facilitation for doctors and nurses of primary healthcare facilities in September.

For sure, we did not touch upon cycling issues at all during the training. Still, we practiced facilitation, communication, and organizational skills so that each specialist-graduate of the training could create and develop a peer group in their institution, providing new opportunities for continuous professional development and support for themselves and their colleagues.

The training course started in February 2022, but due to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Project was forced to suspend the training, which we continued only in August. Unfortunately, due to active hostilities, not all 30 participants who started training in February were able to resume their participation and complete the course (but they are alive and in relative safety). But for many, the opportunity to continue their studies was a long-awaited event.

• “I am happy that you decided to continue this project. Doctors need support in peer groups more than ever.”
• “I am glad to receive this news. I have repeatedly mentioned the Project, but I did not dare to ask if we could complete it because I remember that many colleagues were from the territories where active hostilities continue. I sincerely hope that we will see everyone again. Despite the war and challenges, we must use the opportunity to learn and realize our dream of a strong and free Ukraine.”

So, we congratulate 19 facilitators who graduated in September and are already working on creating their groups. We are inspired by the fact that Ukrainian professionals, like professionals worldwide, choose self-directed learning formats introduced by peers to peers.

We thank Alla Boyko, Olga Bershadska, Renato Galeazzi, Olena Lemeshko, Kateryna Poshtaruk, and Natalia Osadchuk for the opportunity to create this course together. So, we continue further development of the community of peer group facilitators. New training is coming soon!