This project focuses on the situation of migrant women in different European countries who are significant by a high risk of poverty, a weak financial position which frequently comes together with a lack of self-confidence and a negative wellbeing. The aim of the project is to develop a high quality training to support these women in improving their lives by changing their financial situation, building up employability, working on their self-esteem and emotional balance. Five consortium partners cooperate in a two-year lasting strategic partnership to develop and implement an innovative training tool for adult education by working out a body-oriented approach. The five partners from Germany (2 partners), Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey contribute their different qualities into this project: • they focus on different groups of migrant women (from North-Africa, Eastern Europe, the Caribbean, Turkey, Morocco and Russia), • they have different positions in the process of integration (migrant-self-help organizations, advisory support, training-service and governmental support), • they are experts in intercultural competences, • they are familiar with gender-related issues, • they are familiar with the body-oriented approach. One of the partners (Eubikus/D) brings extensive knowledge and experience with the body-oriented approach into the consortium. The transfer of the body-oriented approach into the training activities in combination with intercultural and gender-skills is the core of this project. By using body-work as methodological approach the bodily experiences gets the central tool of learning and developing consciousness about someone self. The partners are convinced that this approach will lead to sustainable results of the trainings. As a first step the consortium realizes a staff-education program for 18 participants from all involved partners to develop the necessary professional skills (in body-oriented approach, intercultural skills, gender-skills) to implement the training-tool with migrant women. This program for 18 trainers will be realized in three steps: a) face-to-face workshop in Germany b) e-learning-program c) face-to-face workshop in Turkey. As a second step four partners will develop local activities to realize a try-out of the training-tool with the target group of migrant women. This training includes 14 modules in seven steps. To do justice to the different migrant group the tool will need to be tuned on the specific needs and conditions. 64 women in 4 countries will participate in the try-out in give feedback about the effect of the training. Based on this profound evaluation of the try-out the training will get improved. The partners will work out different options on how to reach out migrant organizations on one hand and get in touch with stakeholders from labor market and public entities on the other hand to implement the training tool in local networks. Each partner will implement two more trainings with migrant women following this approach during the time of this project (128 women will be reached). The output will be a well-founded trainer´s guide that explains the training tool, but also includes research about the target-group, intercultural and gender-skills. This guide will be accompanied by tutorial videos to give an impression of the body-oriented approach. In a brochure the consortium will document the staff-education program. A website will be developed for professionals in adult-education, migrant organisations, NGOs and labor-market to work on employability and wellbeing on migrant women and to make use of body-oriented approach. We intend that the project will have results and impact on several levels: For our target group of migrant women the risk of poverty gets reduced, because they will be able and motivated to take steps to improve their lives (including their financial situation and emotional wellbeing). For the organizations active in adult education the quality of their programs will improve by working with this innovative approach. They will be working on a subject with high relevance and getting in touch with stakeholders representing migrant-groups as well as work-supporting systems. Trainers will gain new skills in using body-oriented and gender-related training-tools for different cultural groups. In a long term perspective we foresee that the situation of migrant will get better in terms of financial independency and emotional wellbeing. Migrants should be able to build up a satisfied life with the integration of their migration as enriching life-experiences. Therefore they need space for personal development, as we offer it within our training. But they also need to face a positive attitude by trainers, employers and public entities. With our project we contribute to an appreciative attitude towards migrant women – as well within themselves as also by the society as a whole.
The starting point for this project were the difficult living circumstances of migrant women, characterized by a high risk of poverty and a weak financial position. This frequently comes together with a lack of self-confidence and a negative wellbeing. Accordingly the main goal of the project was to improve the quality of life of migrant women. The starting point was an empowerment process for migrant women themselves, so that they could become more aware of their potential and gain more self-confidence. This should be the basis for more emotional well-being as well as for a better approach to the labor market. The five project partners from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey combined their expertise in the three main points of reference - interculturality, women's empowerment and the body-oriented approach - in order to develop and implement a suitable offer in the adult education. The field of action of the partners varied from local migrant organization (Stichting Tour Rotterdam) to a network of people supporting migration-process (Intercultural Forum Fulda e.V.), adult education provider (A.RE.S. Campobasso), to public authority (Izmir governorship) and international association (Eubikus eeig). The diversity of the partners should provide insights into how to gain better access to the target group of migrant women, and what collaborations and networks are particularly useful here. To realize these goals, first the concept of a body-oriented training for women with a migrant background was developed. This was named "mind4body" and consists of an active program of seven steps towards more empowerment and independency. At the same time, a training course for trainers was developed, with which the teaching staff of the participating partners should be equipped with all necessary skills to be able to realize the mind4body training. So planned, done so: Each project partner sent four participants to the international training for Mind4body trainers under the direction of Eubikus (mostly with a migration background themselves). Following this, the partners tested and evaluated the mind4body training on site. Where necessary, the concept was adapted. More trainings were carried out and implemented in the offers of the partners. Cooperation with local migrant self-help organizations was an important factor in reaching the target group. Based on this, the project partners have developed various activities to disseminate the body-oriented approach (publications, newsletters, multiplier events, presentations). In addition, the project team has produced several outputs to document and reproduce the results: a manual about the mind4body trainings, a brochure about the training of trainers, and videos for demonstrating mind4body. The evaluation of the mind4body training showed the great impact of this innovative body-oriented approach: the communicative and social competencies of the participants have expanded significantly. They feel more emotional balance, energy and motivation and have a better social network. They have developed more self-confidence and got to know better their own strengths and potentials. On this base the participants have been able to improve their position in the labor market and taken steps to take live in hand themselves. In addition, the following has been achieved: - The partner organizations are able to address a socially relevant topic (migration) with their work, have set up corresponding networks and established contacts with relevant stakeholders. - Adult education trainers have acquired gender and intercultural skills. They have learned to apply the body-oriented approach and are able to give successful mind4body trainings. - The involved organizations and trainers have built up an international network. - The results were disseminated in the areas of migration, education, employment, health, women's empowerment, youth work and social work. The materials and offers (mind4body training and training of trainers) will also be available in the future. The response to the results is very positive, the approach is already picked up and used by other organizations and trainers. Overall, our project has contributed to a greater sensitivity towards the situation and the needs of migrant women.