The project successfully equipped civic society employees in Romania, Bulgaria, and Poland with the skills and tools needed to address the linguistic and mental health needs of Ukrainian adult refugees facing social, educational, and economic challenges after fleeing the war. Also, through non-formal methods, the project improved the linguistic abilities and mental well-being of 45 Ukrainian refugees in Bucharest RO, Sofia BG, and the Spisz region PL, enabling their social inclusion and participation as engaged citizens. Specifically, the project: (1) enhanced the capacity of 15 NGO workers from Romania, Bulgaria and Poland to support refugees with language and mental health needs; (2) improved NGO activities and capacities to work with refugees by developing an innovative toolkit for refugee support; (3) promoted linguistic and mental health improvement among refugees through local pilot activities targeting 45 individuals from each partner country. By fostering learning opportunities and common values, the project effectively addressed refugee integration, well-being, and key skill development.
We applied for this project to address the urgent needs created by the Ukrainian refugee crisis, which brought unprecedented challenges to our regions. Since the start of the war, millions of refugees, mostly women, children, and vulnerable groups, fled to neighboring countries, including Romania, Bulgaria, and Poland, putting immense pressure on local systems. Our partner organizations, traditionally working with disadvantaged groups like Roma communities and homeless people, needed to adapt quickly to support refugees. This included helping them integrate socially and economically, providing mental health support, and addressing language barriers. Refugees required linguistic skills to navigate their new environments and specialized mental health care due to the trauma of war and displacement. Also, the project aimed to build our capacity as partner NGOs to assist refugees by developing innovative tools, training staff, and creating effective methods for social inclusion, mental health care, and employment support, ensuring high-quality assistance while easing integration challenges.