About
Description of Activities – Hands With Heart Foundation (HWH)
The Hands With Heart Foundation (HWH) is an international non-profit organization founded in 2016, providing free, specialized healthcare to children and adults with disabilities in vulnerable and post-conflict settings. With field experience across Argentina, Bali, Costa Rica, and Romania, HWH brings a unique global perspective — but our current priority is Ukraine, where the need for integrated, trauma-informed rehabilitation is urgent.
Since 2023, we’ve carried out over ten humanitarian missions in Ukraine, delivering hands-on care to children with neurological impairments, civilians with complex injuries, and former soldiers, including those with amputations and war-related disabilities. Importantly, we have also participated in six intensive recovery programs for combat medics, whose own somatic injuries and cumulative trauma are often overlooked.
Our work stands out for its multidisciplinary approach, combining osteopathy, neurorehabilitation, and somatosensory therapy to support not just physical recovery — but also the somatic dimension of psychological trauma, including PTSD. We bridge the physiological and psychological realms of care, addressing trauma at the interface of body and mind — a perspective increasingly recognized as essential in modern rehabilitation science.
Recognized by the United Nations as an Example of Good Practices for the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), HWH is more than a healthcare provider — we are a platform for collaboration. Our teams bring not only field expertise, but also adaptability, cultural competence, and a strong commitment to working alongside institutions, researchers, and medical innovators to co-create effective, sustainable responses to the long-term consequences of conflict.
We are actively seeking new partners to expand our impact, share methodologies, and integrate our work into broader strategic frameworks within defence, humanitarian, and academic sectors.
Activities