Today, thousands of Ukrainian families live in a state psychologists call "ambiguous loss" or "frozen grief." This refers to those whose military loved ones are missing in action, with no information about their fate. The absence of information — even news of the worst kind — forces the nervous system into a state of exhausting, round-the-clock mobilization. On top of that, such families often become "invisible" to society: people around them don't know how to communicate with someone in this state, and choose to keep their distance instead. This forced social isolation only deepens the crisis, trapping women (and here we're talking primarily about wives and mothers of servicemen) in a cycle of shock, anger, and depression.
A way out of this cycle was offered by the NGO "Social and Psychological Family Club of Military Families 'Vidnovlennia' (Recovery)", which has been operating in Kryvyi Rih since March 2025. The organization was founded by wives of defenders who deeply understand the essence of the problem and say: "We're there both when someone needs to cry it out, and when they simply want to smile." So the project "Alongside in Uncertainty" is built on the fundamental principle of "peer to peer," and the small number of participants (two groups of 10 women each) is what guarantees deep, meaningful support for each of them.
One of the project's key elements is legal support, which turns into a powerful therapeutic tool. When a woman receives a professional review of her specific situation and a clear course of action, she regains a sense of agency and control over her own life — right in the area where she previously felt helpless.
Another component of the project is psychological support, including through non-traditional methods of restoring one's inner resources. "Vidnovlennia" favors family equine therapy, meaning outdoor interaction with horses. This lets participants literally "exhale" and reconnect with their own bodies through contact with animals.
By the way, so that mothers can fully immerse themselves in the recovery process, the project takes care of children's activities during training sessions and consultations. "Alongside in Uncertainty" is built to last: participants master self-help techniques, which turns them from service recipients into potential leaders capable of independently moderating support groups in the future. This creates a self-sustaining network of solidarity that will continue to exist even after the active phase of the grant ends — a grant the "Vidnovlennia" NGO team received through the "Sparks of Communities: ISAR Ednannia and GlobalGiving Partnership for Resilience" competition. The grant support became the catalyst that turned a private initiative of defenders' wives into a professional institution.
As the project's lawyer — herself the wife of a serviceman awaiting news — put it: "This community became a lighthouse for me." This metaphor best captures the project's mission: to serve as a guiding light in the fog of uncertainty, restoring families' faith that they are not left alone with their pain, and that their community can be a source of support and recovery.
The grant competition “Community Sparks: ISAR Ednannia and GlobalGiving Partnership for Resilience” is implemented by ISAR Ednannia with funding from the GlobalGiving platform.
