Support often begins with something simple: people coming together. In partnership with Mölndal Municipality, HUG recently brought together Ukrainian participants in Mölndal for a series of peer support meetings focused on mental health, wellbeing, and integration.
Peer support meetings are based on the idea that people facing similar challenges can learn from and strengthen one another. For displaced Ukrainians, these meetings can offer a space to share experiences, talk about challenges and needs related to integration, and encourage one another.
Because displacement often brings stress, uncertainty, and isolation, each meeting was designed to foster a sense of belonging and explore small, practical ways to support wellbeing in everyday life.
The idea behind small steps is that even modest actions can lead to meaningful change, and we were able to witness that change firsthand. Participants explored strategies for coping with stress, techniques for improving sleep, and ideas for staying physically active. They also reflected on the importance of creativity, spontaneity, and cultural and social participation in community life.
Over time, the group became a safe and caring space built on trust, encouragement, and shared understanding. At the final meeting, participants shared that they had become close friends and were ready to support one another even after the group had ended.
As one participant shared, "These groups were important to me because of mutual understanding, the opportunity to communicate freely and safely, and in my native language".
For us, this experience was another reminder that recovery starts with a sense of belonging and hope.
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