I have been working in the humanitarian sector since 2016. At that time, I took on various roles: I provided psychological support, coordinated projects and led the organization. I know this system from within. I know how it affects the lives of millions of people. I also understand how much it demands from those who are part of it. I saw fatigue, tension and chronic stress accumulating. Even a huge effort begins to seem too small for the scale of needs. The Mokuteki program appeared as I got close to the exhaustion limit myself and it was more than simple training for me.
People make the program
The Mokuteki training program for those supporting leaders of Ukrainian human rights and humanitarian organizations is part of a larger Mokuteki[1.1] project aimed at strengthening Ukrainian civil society. The people who took part in the course did not join it by chance.
We, Ukrainian psychologists, psychotherapists, doctors, coaches, facilitators, NGO employees, live amid war or forced migration and at the same time, we support others every day.
Some of us connected to the online meetings from Ukraine where it is impossible to plan further than tomorrow, fear forms the background, fatigue becomes the norm, and real danger to life turns into everyday reality. Others joined from abroad, having emigrated – still adapting, being separated from their loved ones, facing language barriers, financial instability and constantly having to prove their right to "be there". It was in this context that we learned how to address burnout among leaders of Ukrainian organizations.
Diversity of perspectives
Online meetings were conducted by experts from the Polish NGO sector, specialists in bodywork and international coaches dealing with burnout. We asked questions, shared doubts and our professional experience, and talked. The diversity of perspectives – both of the experts and participants – brought added value, giving us a sense that this program was not a fixed structure imposed on us, but something we co-created.
It was becoming more and more apparent to us that burnout is not an individual's problem. And certainly, it is not weakness or inability to cope. It results from the way the internal, organizational and social systems function. The transition from looking at burnout as an individual responsibility to understanding that it is a systemic phenomenon has provided a more multidimensional view of this mechanism.
Five days in the mountains
However, the real breakthrough came in September 2025 during a five-day meeting in the Tatras. Already on the first evening, when I arrived on the spot, I was struck by silence which invited me to a space free of information noise and rush. Every day, I became more and more aware that limiting stimuli and being able to slow down are the basic conditions for regeneration in chronic stress. This is fundamental to addressing burnout. It was this silence that became the framework of the whole process. The pace of work, the way of talking, free time between sessions – we based everything on mindfulness and slowing down. The day dedicated to regeneration turned out to be particularly important – without requirements and tasks, without daily guilt and the "others first, then me" belief, but with the right to self-care. One person went to the mountains, another to the thermal baths and yet another was simply walking around Zakopane. For aid sector professionals, having such a day turned out to be something of a revolution.
Probably, this was when many of us felt what burnout prevention means – not theoretically, but in our bodies. The dynamics of the group and the whole process have changed. There was more depth, trust and clarity to them. It became apparent what distinguishes Mokuteki from many other educational initiatives. It is aimed not only at developing the ability to help others, but also at supporting the support system itself. Care for the professionals – their condition, resources and resilience – has been integrated into the program as a full-fledged element.
From practice
In October, we moved on to practice – coaching sessions with leaders of Ukrainian NGOs. We have worked with people responsible for teams, projects and humanitarian processes in wartime conditions. At the same time, regular supervision took place, creating a space for discussing challenging moments and doubts as well as receiving support.
In my opinion, a relevant element of the project was the internship remuneration. In the humanitarian sector, we too often get used to the logic of superhuman effort justified by the mission, while self-care and personal finances are sidelined, ignored and sometimes even criticized. This in itself increases the risk of burnout. The fact that we were offered remuneration has become a sign of value: working on the resilience of leaders is a full-fledged professional activity that requires time, attention and recognition.
In my work in the humanitarian sector, I have repeatedly observed how important the role of a professional leader becomes in crisis. When everything around you is unstable and unpredictable, it is they who help maintain the backbone and team stability. At the same time, it means a huge mental, emotional and organizational burden for them.
Coaching helps slow down, creates safe conditions for regulating tension, gives time for reflection and the opportunity to talk to someone about the burden that leaders often carry on their own every day.
I was particularly touched by the feedback from one of the clients in the program: the most important thing for her was the feeling that she was not alone in this process. That in our meetings, she could relieve tension, analyze difficult situations and her approach to work, load and rest as well as reflect on self-regulation mechanisms. Once a week, she had an hour just for herself when she was not only a leader with a huge responsibility, but also a human being.
Strengthening the support ecosystem
The program opened up a new career path for participants, confirmed their competencies and broadened their perspectives. It gave them a sense of not being alone in their doubts and fatigue. For me, it turned out crucial to understand how important it is to strengthen not only individual leaders but also the entire system that supports those who support others. Humanitarian sector professionals provide support for hundreds and thousands of people. They sustain teams, projects and entire communities. At the same time, the needs of this group remain marginalized. Yet it is because of the lack of systemic support that specialists, strong and dedicated to their mission, gradually burn themselves out and leave the sector. Resilience and sustainability begin with supporting those who take responsibility for others upon themselves. I am convinced that this assumption should become an integral part of international programs, especially those implemented in crisis. I want to develop my professional career exactly in this direction.
In a world where crises are becoming the new norm, supporting supporters becomes a necessary condition for the sustainability of entire communities and support systems.
