November was the final month of GIDNA's work in Mykolaiv and the Mykolaiv region, supported by a grant from Dan Church Aid and Norwegian Church Aid in Ukraine (DCA-NCA). This project created a safe space for women living with the pain of indefinite loss. We helped them navigate the most difficult times, restore their inner resources, and regain the ability to move forward, despite the daily uncertainty and thoughts about what the future holds.
Indefinite loss is an experience where there is no balance between pain and hope, but instead, there are constant emotional swings. In this situation, it is very hard for a woman to keep believing, waiting, and simply living without disregarding her dreams, desires, and goals. When a loved one has disappeared without a trace or is being held captive, life becomes a constant wait for any news. This state is exhausting, causes chronic anxiety, and takes away the strength needed for recovery. That is why the FFU expanded GIDNA to Mykolaiv to support women who feel alone with their worries.
Throughout the project, a team of qualified psychologists worked with women who were experiencing ambiguous loss due to the captivity or disappearance of loved ones. Therapy helped them talk through their pain, learn to regulate their emotional state, regain a sense of support, and live a full life.
Inna Nasliedova, GIDNA project’s psychologist, trauma therapist.“I worked with a woman whose husband was sentenced to 30 years in prison by the russian federation. It is not clear when he will return. The woman came to us in a hard state. But after 16 sessions, we achieved significant results: her self-esteem increased significantly, she found strength within herself, started painting, plans to sign up for dance classes, and took up swimming. We gave her support and encouragement. And her roles changed. Now she has become both a mother and a father figure to her two children. Support and understanding gave her wings. Unfortunately, we cannot bring her husband back, but we were able to restore her support and self-confidence"
From July to November 2025, the GIDNA project provided help to 27 women from Mykolaiv and the region. A total of 401 psychological sessions were held. During this time, each woman in the project received qualified psychological help, worked through her own anxiety, learned to find moments of pause for herself, and replenished her depleted resources.
“I worked with a mother who was waiting for her son, who had gone missing. She came to me in a difficult, unstable state. Her mood swung sharply between hope and despair. We worked on stabilizing her emotional state, learning to accept her emotions, not to ignore or suppress them. We learned to identify what she was feeling — pain or sadness — and what she could do about it. I gave her the tools to regulate herself and became a support for her, helping her to create her own and move forward on her own after the end of therapy," says Natalia Prysiazhniuk, GIDNA’s psychologist, about her work on the project.
Anna Hrubaia, head of the GIDNA project.“During our work in Mykolaiv and the region, our team of psychologists has helped 27 women, who received 401 sessions. Behind these numbers are statements such as: “I sleep better now,” “I am learning to help myself, and I am succeeding,” “I allowed myself to cry for the first time in two years,” and “I am not alone in my grief.” Behind these numbers are stories of women about their children, the sons they dream of hugging, the husbands they are waiting for. Support and encouragement are invaluable on the path of a woman living in uncertainty. And these women dared to seek this support and learn to help themselves"
The project was implemented with the support of Dan Church Aid and Norwegian Church Aid in Ukraine (DCA–NCA) within the framework of the “Comprehensive Humanitarian Response for Conflict-Affected Ukrainians and Citizens of Other Countries” campaign, funded by the Auswärtige Amt in partnership with Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe.
We are grateful to all our partners and everyone who supported GIDNA. Thanks to you, women who are going through one of the most difficult periods of their lives have been allowed to regain their inner strength and feel that they are not alone.
