HEFAT Program 2024: A Year of Innovation and Results

The HEFAT program (“Hostile Environment and First Aid Training”) is a series of trainings aimed at teaching journalists and public figures survival skills, first aid, and working in high-risk zones. Its goal is to save lives and enhance safety standards in the Ukrainian media community.

Key Achievements of the Year

This year, training sessions were held in four cities across Ukraine — Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, and Dnipro. This expansion allowed us to involve regional media professionals, including those working in frontline areas. The programs included basic training for journalists, specialized courses for public figures, and trainings developed upon requests from media organizations.

In addition to Ukrainian media professionals, this year HEFAT also trained a group of foreign journalists covering events in Ukraine.

Program Development

This year, we introduced VR technologies to practice digital security skills, allowing participants to safely train in simulated dangerous situations.

As before, the program included intensive practical exercises in environments as close to real-life scenarios as possible, and the content of the training constantly adapted to changes in the hostile environment.

The results of the survey conducted among HEFAT graduates are impressive: the average rating of the program was 9.94 out of 10. The most important indicator of effectiveness was the real-world benefits of the training: the skills acquired in HEFAT have already helped save lives and avoid dangers while working in combat zones.

In 2025, HEFAT will continue to develop, expanding its geography and improving training methodologies. Our goal is to make safety training accessible to as many media professionals as possible who are working in challenging conditions.

Stay tuned for updates so you don’t miss the opportunity to become a participant in HEFAT trainings in the new year!