Fundraiser
Ukraine’s rehabilitation system is stretched to its limits. Millions have been affected by war, and the country faces a severe shortage of specialists trained in modern physical, neurological, and developmental rehabilitation. At the same time, Switzerland is home to some of the world’s most advanced pediatric and neurorehabilitation centers.
Rehab Bridge connects these two realities.
We bring experienced Ukrainian rehabilitation professionals to Switzerland for short, intensive learning stays where they can observe leading clinical teams, understand multidisciplinary care models, and experience high-quality rehabilitation environments first-hand. When they return home, they apply this knowledge immediately in their own clinical settings and share it with colleagues, universities, and regional networks.
This creates a sustainable “knowledge loop”, where expertise circulates, grows, and ultimately raises the standard of care across Ukraine.
We are raising CHF 1,500 to fund the first trip to Switzerland in spring 2026.
Bank details
Zuerich hilft der Ukraine ZhdU
comment: "Rehab Bridge"
IBAN: CH75 0070 0114 8067 5394 5
BIC: ZKBKCHZZ80A
How the Program Works
​Each Rehab Bridge stay lasts one to two weeks and takes place in a Swiss rehabilitation center selected for its excellence and relevance to the participant’s expertise.
The model is simple: learn in Switzerland, apply in Ukraine, and cascade the impact further through teaching, supervision, and guideline development.
The project is designed for English-speaking physiotherapists and occupational therapists who are already working with complex patient groups. Selection is done in collaboration with Ukrainian institutions and rehabilitation experts, ensuring that the professionals who travel are those best placed to make a lasting difference at home.
Spotlight: Liudmyla Basenko
Planned visit: Spring 2026 – Kinder Reha Schweiz, Affoltern
ZhdU is proud to introduce Liudmyla Basenko, the first participant of the program. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Health Sciences and a pediatric physical therapist with more than a decade of clinical experience, Liudmyla works with some of the most vulnerable patient groups: infants and young children with cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorders, developmental delay, and Down syndrome.
She teaches at Khmelnytskyi National University, where she trains the next generation of Ukrainian rehabilitation specialists. Her academic and clinical roles already allow her to influence hundreds of students and families every year. But Liudmyla’s impact extends even further: she is part of the national working group that is developing Ukraine’s first standardized guidelines for the treatment of neurodivergent children.
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Importantly, Liudmyla brings not only professional expertise but personal insight: she is the mother of a child with cerebral palsy. This lived experience profoundly shapes her understanding of family-centered care, the challenges faced by parents, and the urgency of improving rehabilitation access and quality in Ukraine. Her motivation to learn, share, and advocate is both professional and deeply personal.​​
"Whatever you do, do it with love."
Supporting Liudmyla’s trip means investing in a clinician, a teacher, a national expert and a mother who is determined to improve life for children like her own, and for thousands of families across Ukraine. What she learns at Kinder Reha Schweiz will inform her university teaching, shape national standards of care, and directly benefit countless children and families in the years to come.
We are raising CHF 1,500 to fund Liudmyla’s visit to Switzerland in spring 2026. This amount covers her travel, meals, insurance, and coordination: everything she needs for a successful stay and safe return.
Sponsoring one trip is a direct, meaningful way to improve rehabilitation care in Ukraine. A donation today becomes better treatments tomorrow, delivered by a clinician who will teach, mentor, and lead well beyond the borders of her own clinic.
Building a Community of Rehabilitation Excellence
Rehab Bridge is made possible through a partnership of Swiss and Ukrainian institutions and experts working together toward a shared vision: a stronger, more resilient rehabilitation system in Ukraine. Our collaborators include Swiss clinics such as Kinder Reha Schweiz, academic partners like ZHAW and Khmelnytskyi National University, advisory experts from Swiss TPH and TRUE/War Trauma Rehabilitation, and a growing number of rehabilitation centers across Ukraine and Switzerland.
Support us with a donation
Bank details for transfers from Switzerland and abroad:
​Recipient: Zuerich hilft der Ukraine ZhdU
Name of the Bank: Zürcher Kantonalbank Prime Tower, Hardstrasse 201, 8005 Zürich
IBAN: CH75 0070 0114 8067 5394 5
BIC: ZKBKCHZZ80A
Purpose of transfer: Rehab Bridge