By implementing the Back to Life project, we aimed to create a meaningful and supportive framework that would empower women from families of veterans and war-affected populations while simultaneously strengthening cooperation among NGO´s, experts and public institutions working in this field. Our primary objective was to combine direct support with knowledge exchange. On the one hand, we wanted to provide women with practical competences—language skills, digital literacy and stress-management tools—that support everyday functioning, autonomy and reintegration. At the same time, we aimed to create a safe and respectful space where women, practitioners and institutions could openly share experiences, listen to one another and reflect on the long-term impacts of war on family life. Beyond individual training activities, the project aspired to foster stronger networking and trust-building among NGOs, experts and public bodies. Overall, B2L aimed—and managed—not only to deliver planned outputs, but to strengthen relationships, inspire cooperation and contribute to more coordinated and human-centred approaches to supporting war-affected families, with impact extending beyond the project’s formal duration.
As partnership,we applied for the project based on long-term engagement in community work with vulnerable groups. Through our direct experience in the field, we increasingly perceived a growing need among women from families of veterans, soldiers— particularly in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Our intention was not only to provide ad-hoc support, but to build on expertise, experience and networks and to use them in a structured and collaborative way. By connecting organisations from different sectors and countries, we aimed to create a space that enables mutual learning, inspiration and reflection, while also supporting more sustainable approaches to reintegration. The project addresses interconnected needs: the development of practical competences needed for everyday functioning, psychosocial resilience and stress-management tools responding to the long-term impact of war on family life, and the need for a safe and supportive environment among women, professionals and institutions. In this way, the project aims not only to empower individuals, but also to contribute to gradual systemic improvement through stronger networks, shared experience and more coordinated responses in adult education and social support systems.