When her husband enlisted into the armed forces, followed by her son, Olena Trots felt as if her entire world came to an end. And yet, the woman chose not to give up, because life goes on and someone has to hold the fort. Moreover, Ms Trots founded a greenhouse company in Shepetivka, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, so that her boys would have something to return to after the victory.

The full-scale invasion caught Olena Trots in Shepetivka. Her husband volunteered to defend the country, and later her eldest son joined the army as well. Since then, the woman has been looking for various distractions from her worries about her loved ones: in addition to her job as a chief accountant at Shepetivka Municipal Repair and Maintenance Enterprise, she tended to her own garden and flowers. 

In 2024, the municipality of Shepetivka announced the Steel Magnolias project — the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Psychological Resilience for internally displaced women, wives of servicemen and employees of municipal enterprises. The project was implemented by the ASTAR Sustainable Development Agency NGO with the assistance of Shepetivka City Council and the support of U-LEAD with Europe.Olena took it as a sign: 

"Flowers are my life-long passion. Another benefit was psychological support and training directly on the site. I realised that this was my chance." 

This is how Olena became one of the 40 participants in the Steel Magnolias project, which was launched in the spring of 2024.

The classes did not only teach the participants about starting their own businesses — the women learned how to care for flowers, select fertilizers and create flower bed designs. After the theory part, they practised in a greenhouse: each participant planted flowers herself, observed the results and learned the dos and don’ts.

"We were shown practical examples: this sprout has died, which meant that something had been done wrong. And that one took root, and we saw how to plant it correctly. We could ask any questions — and always got answers," recalls Olena.

In addition to the necessary knowledge and skills, the women received what they needed most — psychological help. The Steel Magnolias project was the first experience of therapy for many participants. With simple exercises, support and sincere words, psychologists helped women find their inner strength. 

"When I saw that there were women around who understood me, who were ready to give me a hug and their support, I felt that I was not alone. Together with the psychologists, we did various exercises that helped us find balance. And it really works: I still use these techniques," says Olena.

This became an additional source of power for women, to draw upon to change their lives. All these activities — both training and therapy — became possible with the support of U-LEAD with Europe. 

Shortly after the end of the project, in February 2025, Olena, together with another like-minded person, registered her company, Nova Kvit. The team has already found premises for greenhouses and is developing a business plan. They are planning to first grow low-maintenance flowers such as petunias and surfinias and later expand their range with vegetables.

Above all, Olena dreams of her husband and son coming home, and this further motivates her to develop her business and create jobs not only for them, but also for other local veterans.

"I’ve already warned my husband: don’t expect to stay idle; there will be a lot of work!" she jokes. 

Olena admits that she has thought about starting her own business for ages, but there have always been reasons to put it off.

"If it weren’t for Steel Magnolias, I would probably still have been waiting for some "better times." The project gave me the knowledge and experience to make my dream come true."