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Description
“PortuGlobal” aims to promote the teaching of the Portuguese language and culture to 80 migrant and refugee women who are in a situation of socioeconomic vulnerability. Internships will be provided and it is expected that 20 women will enter the job market in hotels and restaurants during and after the completion of the project. An intuitive digital platform will also be developed with all the contents to be taught and videos so that a broader adherence to the project is possible.
Summary of project results
The project aimed to address the significant challenges faced by migrant and refugee women arriving in Portugal without linguistic or cultural knowledge and without support for their integration into society. This growing wave of migrant women often did not come under family reunification processes but in search of better living conditions, many being single mothers. These circumstances left them in difficult situations, managing families alone in a foreign country, making them vulnerable to human trafficking networks. Those who resisted trafficking faced precarious work conditions and wages below the minimum wage. The lack of language skills, knowledge of laws, duties, and rights further exacerbated their challenges. The project aimed to empower these women through Portuguese language education and cultural, legal, and work practices in Portugal, equipping them with the tools and knowledge to integrate into society and the labor market. The project identified over 900 women in this situation and included approximately 40 children whose mothers were in these conditions.
Over the course of 20 months, the project executed various activities to meet its objectives. Initially, classes were organized in different geographic areas to facilitate the candidates'' attendance and organization. The interest was immense, reflected in over 500 registrations, surpassing expectations.
The classes were organized as follows: Amadora 1 started with over 30 students, but only 12 completed the training due to the course''s three-month duration with only one weekly session. The same occurred in the Damaia and Arroios classes. For the remaining classes, the course duration was shortened to one and a half months to maintain interest. Damaia 1 started with 10 women, many struggling with reading, so an alternative plan with basic writing and reading activities was created, and 6 completed the training. Arroios started with 18 women, 13 completed. At Laranjeiro started with 25 students, 17 completed. At Odivelas started with 25 students, 18 completed. Amadora (2) started with 22 students, 20 completed. Palmela started with 10 students, 7 completed. Online course started with 27 students, 25 completed. Associação Seies started and completed with 11 students (mixed gender class).
In total, 129 students completed the course. After the training, the project offered students the opportunity to contact teacher/support worker who individually assessed each candidate''s professional area, placing 10 students with partner organizations. In total, 16 students secured employment after completing the course.
The capacity-building aimed to enhance the skills of its human resources in people and human capital management. The project included actions such as analyzing FIP''s organizational culture and developing its cultural positioning, analyzing the organizational structure and presenting functional descriptions, defining a methodology for training needs assessment and internal training plans, defining and implementing procedures for integrating new employees, and developing and implementing performance management practices and career development plans.
This project enabled FIP to train seven team members to internally develop and optimize the organization''s people management department. Key achievements included the development, implementation, and communication of the organization''s mission, vision, and values; drafting FIP''s organizational structure and process framework; creating functional descriptions for key roles; and establishing people management and internal training procedures.
By the end of the project, the impact of the capacity-building actions was evident through changes in internal practices and increased internal knowledge.
In terms of results the project achieved, beyond the visible outcomes, there were other significant impacts, especially from the perspective of the women involved. Session after session, the happiness and motivation of these women were evident. They were always encouraged by the team to pursue their interests and learn to achieve their dreams. After each class concluded, numerous messages were received, reflecting the profound impact this project had on their lives. One participant expressed, "I don''t know how much I learnt the language but I learnt all the positive things from you my beloved teacher... I will miss your class definitely... but you will be my inspiration for the whole life." Another shared, "Finally it was a great day for me after a very long four years in Portugal. So all credit goes to you. Thank you so much teacher." These messages highlight the project''s success in empowering these women, fostering positivity, and providing the support needed to pursue their dreams.