When Veterans Return Home: Between the Clinic and Everyday Life

In Ukraine, the system of rehabilitation for veterans is developing rapidly. Yet a significant gap remains between the end of clinical treatment and everyday life at home, within the family and in the local community. This particularly affects people with physical and sensory disabilities — those who have undergone amputations or experienced partial or complete loss of sight or hearing, often alongside chronic pain, war-related trauma and PTSD.

The project “Building Systemic Support for Veterans with Physical and Sensory Disabilities and Their Families” creates a coherent pathway of assistance: from medical rehabilitation, through the adaptation stage, to long-term psychosocial and family support. The veteran remains at the centre of the process, but the model also involves their loved ones, medical professionals and the institutions responsible for rehabilitation.

Support Reaches Those Who Need It

Mobile interdisciplinary teams operate in the Kyiv and Odesa regions. They bring together doctors, psychologists, case managers and veteran mentors. The teams reach local communities, assess the situation of individual families, provide crisis interventions, consultations and ongoing monitoring, and help plan the next stages of support.

This mechanism has particular practical importance outside the largest cities. Even in regions with well-developed medical infrastructure, access to specialist services remains uneven. A mobile team shortens the distance between a person in need and the appropriate form of assistance. It also helps identify veterans with physical and sensory disabilities who require more intensive rehabilitation or support during the adaptation process.

After Leaving the Clinic

Returning home is one of the most difficult stages. In a medical facility, the patient functions within a structured environment, has access to specialists and follows a clearly defined rehabilitation plan. At home, everyday life is less predictable. A person must relearn how to move around, organise ordinary tasks, regulate emotions and rebuild relationships.

The project includes three seven-day rehabilitation and adaptation programmes for 21 veterans who have lost their sight and their 21 female partners. Two programmes are designed for people with partial sight loss, while one is intended for veterans who are completely blind. The programme combines individual and group therapy, independent living skills, spatial orientation, emotional regulation and support for couple relationships.

The participation of partners reflects the reality of the rehabilitation process. Families assume much of the responsibility for everyday adaptation, often without preparation or support of their own. The project treats loved ones as participants in rehabilitation rather than as the patient’s invisible support system.

Experience That Helps Rebuild Trust

Peer support is an essential part of the model. The mentors are veterans who have themselves gone through injury and rehabilitation and have had to rebuild their independence. Their role differs from that of a doctor or psychologist. They bring lived experience that can help overcome isolation and resistance to receiving support.

A conversation with someone who has experienced a similar injury may focus on very practical issues: mobility, relationships with loved ones, feelings of dependence or the loss of a previous social role. Peer support complements professional therapy and strengthens it in areas where clinical knowledge alone may not be enough.

From a Pilot Programme to an Institutional Standard

The project goes beyond providing direct assistance to participants. Experts develop and test a methodology for individual and group work with veterans with physical and sensory disabilities and their families. The model includes case management, psychological support, independent living skills, communication, emotional regulation and peer mentoring.

The programme is incorporated into the practice of the Institute of Traumatology of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine. This allows the experience gained through the pilot to inform an institutional solution that specialists can continue to use after the project ends.

Equipment and Expertise Remain Within the System

At the same time, the project strengthens the rehabilitation capacity of the Multidisciplinary Veterans’ Hospital in Odesa. The rehabilitation department receives specialist equipment for physical rehabilitation and laser therapy, while staff are trained in its use and in integrating the devices into individual treatment plans.

The HumanDoc Foundation implements the project together with ReabiCentr, the Mariupol Women’s Association “Berehynia”, the Association of Rehabilitation Management and the Institute of Traumatology of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine. The partners combine clinical, scientific, community-based and organisational expertise.

The project tests a model that brings together elements which have often operated separately: medical rehabilitation, psychological assistance, family support, community-based work and veteran mentoring. The methodology, specialist expertise and equipment remain within Ukrainian institutions, while the solution developed through the project can be expanded and implemented on a larger scale in other regions of the country.

Tourism That Keeps Income in Local Communities

Moldova’s tourism sector is growing, but this growth does not translate equally into new jobs and stable sources of income across the country. The greatest benefits remain concentrated around Chișinău and the best-known destinations, while smaller towns and rural areas continue to face limited access to markets, capital and business support services.

The disparities are measurable. In northern and central Moldova, the multidimensional poverty rate exceeds 33%, compared with a national average of 25.6%. At the same time, interest in the country is increasing. In 2025, collective accommodation establishments welcomed 525,100 tourists, while inbound tourism grew by 33.8% year on year. The project “Sustainable Tourism as a Driver of Local Entrepreneurship Development in Moldova” addresses a practical question: how can a growing number of visitors generate income for communities located beyond the main tourist routes?

From individual businesses to a shared offer

Across rural Moldova, people run small guesthouses, craft workshops, farms, local attractions and services for visitors. These are often microenterprises, sometimes operated by one person. Their owners have ideas, knowledge of their regions and authentic products, yet they frequently remain almost invisible online, work in isolation and struggle to reach international customers.

The project develops the Eco Busola cooperation network, designed to bring together at least 65 entrepreneurs from different regions of Moldova. Its first stage includes a minimum of 35 businesses. The network enables members to build joint offers, recommend one another’s services and guide tourists from one location to the next. Instead of dozens of disconnected initiatives, it creates a system in which accommodation, local products, workshops and guiding services can become part of a single route or package.

Participants develop practical digital and marketing skills. They learn how to present their services, create content, use online channels and communicate with potential customers. Their offers appear on a dedicated network portal, supported by the existing EcoApp Moldova mobile application. Digital tools serve a concrete purpose here: increasing visibility and generating sales.

Local infrastructure for small businesses

An idea and an online profile are not enough when an entrepreneur has nowhere to organise a workshop, prepare products or conduct sales. The project therefore works with Local Action Groups, which operate in Moldova as partnerships between local authorities, businesses and civil society organisations.

Existing LAG facilities host Local Tourism and Entrepreneurship Centres. The first stage covers two locations: Trei Coline in the north and Plaiul Codrilor in central Moldova. Ultimately, the model extends across three regions of the country.

Each hub receives equipment suited to local needs. This may include tools for packaging and labelling products, organising events, producing photographs and videos, or supporting direct sales. Rather than establishing entirely new institutions, the project gives an additional function to spaces that already exist. The centres provide shared facilities for people who cannot afford to purchase equipment or rent suitable premises on their own.

New skills and professional pathways

A growing tourism sector also needs people who know how to guide visitors, tell the story of a region and connect travellers with local service providers. The project includes a certified programme preparing residents of southern Moldova to work as tourist guides.

The training follows the standards of the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations and focuses on practice: leading groups, storytelling, working with visitors and directing tourism beyond the country’s most familiar destinations.

Across the two project modules, 24 people receive professional training, with 12 participants in each module. Future guides are connected with local entrepreneurs and tourism companies so that their new skills can lead to actual employment rather than becoming another certificate enjoying a quiet retirement in a drawer.

The project also strengthens the capacity of entrepreneurs and public institutions to access and manage European Union funding. As Moldova gains broader access to EU instruments, it also needs people who can prepare projects, implement them correctly and account for the funds received.

A system designed to continue

The HumanDoc Foundation implements the project together with the National LEADER Rural Development Network of the Republic of Moldova and the National Tourism Office of the Republic of Moldova. This partnership combines direct work with local communities, experience in entrepreneurship development and the capacity to connect project results with national tourism policies.

The project’s sustainability rests on resources that remain in Moldova: the entrepreneurs’ network, the functioning portal, participants’ new skills, EcoApp Moldova and the hubs embedded within existing LAG structures. The model can be extended to further regions, with each centre’s equipment and services adapted to local conditions.

In this way, growing interest in Moldova can support small businesses, create employment and strengthen the economies of communities located far from the country’s busiest routes.

The Library as a Place to Talk About the World

In Poland, global education most often reaches people through schools, universities and civil society organisations. It appears much less frequently in places that residents use in their everyday lives, especially outside major cities. Yet in a smaller town, the library is often one of the most accessible cultural institutions: people can walk in without an invitation, specialist knowledge or prior registration.

The GLOBOTEKA – Global Education Libraries for Local Communities project builds on this potential. It brings public libraries into discussions about contemporary global challenges and the connections between different parts of the world. It does so through tools already embedded in the everyday work of libraries: books, reportage, comics, popular science publications, games and meetings with local residents.

72 local access points for global education

GLOBOTEKA creates a network covering 72 libraries across the Opolskie region. The project is run by the HumanDoc Foundation in partnership with the Emanuel Smołka Provincial Public Library in Opole, which coordinates the work of public libraries in the region and maintains direct contact with the institutions participating in the initiative.

Each library receives a carefully selected collection of publications and games related to global education. The materials address climate change, human rights, migration, inequality, responsible consumption, the Sustainable Development Goals and the links between them. They help readers understand how decisions made in Poland may affect people and the environment elsewhere in the world.

In practice, the mechanism can be very simple. A reader notices a reportage book on a clearly marked shelf. A librarian recommends a comic that might otherwise disappear among the latest bestsellers. A board game becomes the starting point for a workshop with young people. The conversation begins with one particular story and gradually leads to wider questions about climate, inequality or the impact of consumption on living and working conditions in other countries.

Librarians as guides through knowledge

The project builds on the experience of librarians who know their audiences, understand local needs and can recommend content in an approachable way. Their role extends beyond lending books. They organise meetings, work with children, young people, adults and older residents, and cooperate with schools and local organisations.

GLOBOTEKA strengthens these capacities through a handbook containing lesson plans and scenarios for workshops and library meetings. The publication explains how books and games can be used in educational activities and offers formats adapted to different age groups and local settings.

Libraries therefore receive more than a collection of materials placed on a shelf. They gain practical tools that help turn the stories, questions and dilemmas contained in those materials into meaningful activities for local communities.

From a bookshelf to local events

GLOBOTEKA resources are used during events organised as part of Global Education Week. Each participating library conducts its own educational activity using the materials and scenarios developed within the project. Together, these events are designed to reach at least 2,000 participants.

At the same time, selected books and global education topics appear in content created by online book influencers. This allows the project to reach people who may not attend library events but regularly follow literary recommendations on social media. Literature becomes a natural entry point into issues that audiences might not actively seek out under the label of “global education”.

The project culminates in a conference bringing together representatives of libraries, cultural institutions, civil society organisations and the education sector. It provides space to present results, exchange experiences, assess how the network operates and discuss how the model can continue to develop.

Resources that remain in local communities

GLOBOTEKA’s sustainability is built into its structure. The books, games and educational materials remain in the libraries after the funding period ends. The handbook can be used during future activities, while the knowledge and practical skills developed through the project stay within the participating institutions and become part of librarians’ everyday work.

GLOBOTEKA is a pilot model, but it operates across an entire region. It tests how public libraries can function as local centres of global education without creating new infrastructure or building a separate system alongside institutions that residents already know and use. The model can later be adapted and developed by libraries in other regions of Poland.

Just a few months ago, they were living ordinary lives. They worried about meals, bills, their children and work on the farm. They had their own homes, gardens and small farms. They were not wealthy, but they lived with dignity.

Today, many of them have literally nothing.

They are internally displaced people in Lebanon who, after the outbreak of war and the beginning of shelling, lost everything almost overnight. Today, they live in tents. Their entire belongings may amount to little more than a mattress, and even that was given to them by strangers. Some families have found shelter in long-abandoned buildings without kitchens, toilets or even the most basic living conditions. In one such place, rats literally fall through holes in the ceiling. Children sleep below.

People took only what they could carry while fleeing the bombardment. Sometimes just their documents. Sometimes a single bag. Sometimes nothing at all. Everything else they now have comes from relatives, neighbours and humanitarian organisations.

At the height of the current crisis, more than one million people were forced to leave their homes.

In these conditions, preparing an ordinary meal is no longer an ordinary task. There is no refrigerator, no cooker, no running water and no money for regular grocery shopping. That is why, through the SAFE project, the HumanDoc Foundation is providing 70,000 nutritious meals to internally displaced people and residents particularly affected by the war and Lebanon’s economic crisis. The support is directed primarily to families with children, older people, people who are ill and people with disabilities.

The meals are prepared and delivered regularly. This means that several hundred people receive consistent, practical support: nutritious, protein-rich food that is tasty and served with dignity. For families living without a kitchen, running water or the means to shop regularly, this removes at least one daily worry. They do not have to wonder every day where the next meal for themselves and their children will come from.

On the ground, we work with a small Lebanese organisation rooted in local communities and operating in one of the areas most exposed to armed violence. Its team is made up of people who have themselves suffered losses: they have lost loved ones, homes in southern Lebanon or their sources of income. They know where displaced families are staying, who has been left without support and which places are the hardest to reach.

That closeness to the community is crucial. The situation changes from one day to the next. People move again after further attacks, shelters fill up or empty, and assistance must be directed to where it is most urgently needed at that particular moment

The “On the Front Line” project is an educational series of short films and teaching materials devoted to humanitarian and development aid. Its aim is to deepen public understanding of how support mechanisms work in practice, what determines the effectiveness of aid, and how to tell the difference between action that genuinely supports people and intervention that only looks good on the surface.

The project grows out of the need to explain, in a simple and accessible way, things that are usually lost behind slogans, because well-delivered humanitarian aid is never a single decision or a single shipment. It is a carefully designed strategy and a network of logistical, financial, political and ethical choices. Some of these choices save lives and strengthen local communities. Others lead to mistakes, dependency or performative actions that serve their creators more than the people they are supposedly meant to help. As part of the project, 24 short video materials are produced to expand knowledge and understanding of these issues.

An additional component of the project is the expansion of a multimedia textbook on sustainable development with a new chapter devoted to effective and ineffective humanitarian aid. This new section presents both examples of actions that strengthen local communities and interventions that fail to deliver results or lead to unintended consequences. Such an analysis makes it possible to better understand what the real quality of aid depends on.

“On the Front Line” builds on Fundacja HumanDoc’s experience in global education and humanitarian work. Our goal is to show that good aid does not begin with an emotional impulse, but with an understanding of context.

The situation of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip has long exceeded the limits of what can be described as a humanitarian crisis. For many people—especially children—it means a lack of access to water, food, and basic living conditions. In the face of the paralysis of international humanitarian mechanisms, HumanDoc chooses to act where real support is still possible: through cooperation with local partners who are present on the ground.

Our work is based on a simple principle: aid must reach those who need it most, directly and without unnecessary intermediaries or delays. That is why we work with the local organisation Refugee Biriyani & Bananas, which has teams operating both in the Gaza Strip and in Egypt, as well as with Global Empowerment Mission (GEM). This constant presence in the field makes it possible to act despite extremely limited access and to reach internally displaced persons’ camps and communities that others can no longer reach.

Through this cooperation, distributions of flour and drinking water have already been carried out—goods that are absolutely essential for the survival of families. Assistance has reached hundreds of families living in camps for internally displaced people, and further actions are being prepared. The flexible nature of this support allows for a rapid response to the changing availability of goods in the Gaza Strip and for action at moments when help is most urgently needed.

A key element of these efforts is local logistics. Aid is distributed directly from warehouses in the central and southern parts of the Gaza Strip, enabling efficient delivery to families who have been living for months in conditions of extreme shortage. This is a complex and high-risk operation, made possible by the knowledge of local teams and their continuous presence in the field.

“Mission Gaza” is a response to the sense of helplessness felt by many people watching the dramatic situation of the civilian population. It is a call to act here and now—support that turns into real help: sacks of flour, litres of water, concrete packages delivered to specific families. Thanks to the solidarity of donors, assistance is already reaching thousands of people. The work continues, and every further contribution increases its scale and reach.

Opolszczyzna Ready for Crisis

Crises are part of our lives, yet when they occur, what proves most surprising is not the event itself but how unprepared we are for it: a flood, an interruption in energy supplies, information chaos, or a situation in which many institutions operate in parallel but not together. Crisis situations reveal what in the system works and mercilessly expose what has remained inconsistent or unresolved for years.

The project “Opolszczyzna Ready for Crisis” grows out of the experience of the HumanDoc Foundation gained on the front line of such situations. It is rooted in the conviction that the safety of residents does not depend solely on infrastructure and procedures, but also on relationships, trust, and the capacity for cooperation at the local level.

Opolszczyzna is the smallest voivodeship in Poland, yet it is a region that regularly experiences the effects of floods and other threats. The history of recent decades shows that crises return here repeatedly, each time exposing the same weaknesses: fragmented actions, a lack of coherent coordination, insufficient information flow, and the underestimation of the role of civil society organisations. The project responds to these gaps by strengthening local capacities for response and preparedness for extraordinary situations.

At the core of the project is the building of cross-sector cooperation networks. Local governments, emergency services, civil society organisations, public institutions, and local leaders all bring different resources and competencies. The project includes intensive, hands-on workshop activities, during which local leaders, representatives of municipalities, NGOs, and services learn joint planning, coordination, and response in realistic risk scenarios. These activities are complemented by online sessions focused on disinformation—on identifying false narratives, verifying information, and conducting responsible communication during crises. The project creates a space where stakeholders can meet, develop shared plans, establish procedures and resource maps, and better understand their respective roles in crisis situations. As a result, response moves away from improvisation toward coordinated, well-synchronised action.

At the same time, the operational capacity of the HumanDoc Foundation’s crisis response team is being strengthened. This is a group deeply rooted in the region, with experience in humanitarian crises and natural disasters, including members with lived experience of migration and displacement. The project develops their competencies in teamwork, field safety, stress response, and in addressing the needs of particularly vulnerable groups such as older people, persons with disabilities, and families in difficult situations. The aim is to ensure that assistance is fast, appropriate, and safe—both for those receiving support and for those providing it.

Countering disinformation is another key component of the project. Crisis experience shows that false or incomplete information can escalate tension and paralyse relief efforts. For this reason, the project strengthens the capacity of local leaders to recognise and neutralise disinformation and to conduct responsible crisis communication based on facts and cooperation with multiple stakeholders.

“Opolszczyzna Ready for Crisis” is a process, not a one-off event. Its goal is to sustainably increase the region’s social resilience—resilience grounded in cooperation, knowledge, and readiness to act before a crisis spirals out of control. It is an investment in the safety of residents and in a system capable of learning from experience, rather than starting from scratch each time.

We support staff at Migrant Integration Centres (CICs) in addressing violence against women and girls

In response to the growing needs of displaced people from Ukraine—particularly women and children affected by trauma and violence—HumanDoc Foundation, in cooperation with CARE Poland, is developing a comprehensive online course on gender-based violence (GBV). The course is designed for teams working at Migrant Integration Centres (CICs) across Poland.

The aim of the course is to equip CIC staff with the knowledge, tools, and practical guidance needed to identify, respond to, and support individuals affected by violence. The course is based on current standards for working with people in crisis and consists of 14 key modules. These cover definitions and types of violence, elements of psychological first aid, the support system in Poland, and case management.

Why is this important?
Many people accessing CIC services are dealing with difficult experiences, including violence. We believe that well-prepared staff are key to creating a safe and supportive environment that fosters integration and builds the resilience of people with migration experience.

The course is primarily intended for CIC staff, but not only—they will be equally beneficial for those working in the NGO sector, international organizations, and anyone interested in expanding their knowledge on violence prevention.

The online course will be:
• available free of charge in Polish,
• include interactive elements, quizzes, animations, and case studies,
• completed with a certificate of participation.

The course was developed in collaboration with CARE as part of a support project for CICs funded by CARE, titled Technical Support and Capacity Building for Local NGOs in the Management and Operation of Centers for the Integration of Foreigners (CIC) in Poland

One moment. An explosion. An accident. A deafening sound—then, silence. The image blurs and disappears.
War and sudden trauma change everything—including how we perceive the world. In Ukraine, and in other parts of Central and Eastern Europe, more and more people are losing their sight or hearing as a result of war-related experiences, disasters, or accidents. And when the sirens fall silent and the dust settles, a different battle begins—the fight to regain a sense of safety and to rebuild a life from scratch.

This is where the Rebuilding Lives project comes in, implemented by the HumanDoc Foundation in cooperation with regional partners. We are creating a comprehensive support program that helps people who have suffered traumatic sensory loss return to everyday life—step by step. Not only through medical rehabilitation, but also through psychological, social, and vocational support.

Where do we start?

Our starting point is Ukraine—a country where the number of people facing sudden loss of sight and/or hearing is rising dramatically. In 2022, nearly 20,000 new cases of visual impairment were recorded. In just the first seven months of 2023, that number had already exceeded 19,000. It is estimated that around 1,000 soldiers lose their vision on the frontlines every year. The healthcare system is not equipped to meet these urgent and growing needs. There is a lack of trained professionals, coordinated care, and long-term support.

Our project addresses these challenges by developing and testing a training program for professionals who work daily with people affected by sudden sensory loss. We are building a network of psychologists, doctors, career counselors, and social workers who collaborate to provide integrated support—from psychological care and rehabilitation to social and occupational reintegration.

What makes our approach different?

Our model is holistic and trauma-informed—designed specifically for individuals who have gone through severe emotional experiences. We know that healing the body is not enough. People also need to rebuild their sense of safety, identity, and relationships. That’s why we place strong emphasis on psychological support, assistance for families, and long-term planning for both employment and social life.

We work with the Ukrainian Academy of Career Development, which accredits the program and will oversee its continued growth in the coming years. Importantly, the project is designed from the outset to be easily adaptable to other countries in the region facing similar challenges—because trauma knows no borders.

Who is participating in the pilot?

The program is being piloted in Ukraine with a group of people who have lost their sight or hearing—both soldiers and civilians. Their families are also involved in the project. Participants benefit from individual consultations, support groups, and tailored forms of psychosocial assistance. This allows us to continuously test and refine the tools that will later be applied more broadly across the region.

What are our goals?

• A comprehensive training program that combines medical, psychological, and social knowledge—ready to be implemented across Central and Eastern Europe.
• Improved competencies among professionals—hundreds of specialists equipped to respond effectively in crisis situations and provide integrated care to those affected.
• Direct support for participants—a measurable improvement in the well-being of those involved in the pilot, backed by hard data.
• A replicable model that can be applied wherever a crisis occurs—whether due to war, a natural disaster, or a mass accident.

Why HumanDoc?

For years, we’ve been combining work in mental health with social and educational initiatives. We run psychosocial support centers in both Poland and Ukraine, train professionals, and partner with organizations across Central and Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. In 2018, one of our initiatives was awarded Project of the Year by the Visegrad Fund for its innovation and tangible impact.

Rebuilding Lives is the next step in building systems that not only respond to crises but give people a real chance to reclaim their lives—with dignity, agency, and hope.

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