More information
Description
The project PROSVASIS aims to empower unaccompanied teens and young refugees and migrants between 16-24 years old, to orientate them towards an energetic and active attitude towards life and their future; to help them transition smoothly to adulthood, autonomy and independence and become the basis for their social integration.
Considering (a) the critical age before and after adulthood, especially for vulnerable groups of children like unaccompanied minors, (b) the lack of special provisions for teens and youth in current and forthcoming programs (e.g. Integration program of the International Organization for Migration, gaps in services for youth under 18 years old) and the National Integration Strategy for refugees, and (c) the high youth unemployment rates that reach nearly 40% in Greece, we have designed a holistic and practical intervention for the empowerment of teens and youth.
PROSVASIS provides a well-rounded package of services that includes psychosocial and legal support, job counselling, access to education, educational and non-formal training opportunities through a theater-educational intervention which will be implemented in 20 schools, field visits that connect with the job market, and participation in advocacy activities and public interventions. The methodology that will be developed, for the enhancement of youth and teens’ skills, will be reflected on a special manual which will be available to professionals of the field. The project will be implemented by the Network for Children’s Rights (Network) along with the International Rescue Committee Hellas (IRC) and the theatrical group Laughter’s Guild (Syntechia tou Geliou), having as a base of operation the Intercultural Youth Center of the Network in Athens.
Summary of project results
The Access project aimed to empower unaccompanied teenagers and young refugees and migrants aged 16-24, guiding them toward an active approach to life and their future. It sought to help them transition smoothly to adulthood, autonomy, and independence, laying the foundation for their social integration. The unaccompanied teenagers and young people who participated in the project were supported holistically and thoroughly, gaining awareness and access to information related to their rights through their participation in activities focused on their economic empowerment. Additionally, they participated individually and in groups in legal briefings about their labor rights, receiving an updated guide.
The development of self-confidence and a sense of positive impact on their future emerged through the collective actions: the beneficiaries utilized the tools provided by the project, their voices were heard throughout Greece through the platform given to them by the "Young Journalists" program. They courageously and knowledgeably engaged in advocacy activities with relevant ministries and educational institutions, both in person and by writing letters, to defend their rights and address the collective needs of their community. By interacting with schools across the country, they had the opportunity to speak and raise awareness among younger students about issues that concern them.
They were supported by the Network to understand and address their needs through individualized psychosocial support and legal counseling, as well as participation in formal or informal apprenticeship programs. They developed and/or improved specific skills through group briefings and participation in the design of theater-pedagogical interventions, as well as through continuous contact with professionals in various fields, opening the path to job market access and targeted training.
Additionally, the goal of empowering vulnerable groups was achieved through indirect target groups (students, teachers, relevant ministries, services, and organizations, educational institutions, and the general public) who were informed and sensitized through the activities, so that in the future they can contribute individually or institutionally to the improvement of structures and frameworks related to the direct target group of the project.
Through employment counseling services, which included both individual employment counseling sessions and group workshops led by the program''s counselor, 110 young people were supported with the goal of preparing and empowering them for a smoother transition into the job market and adulthood. Through individual meetings, group trainings, and visits to art spaces, educational institutions, and businesses in Athens, participants received information and developed skills and knowledge crucial for finding and maintaining employment, while exploring their interests and alternative educational or occupational pathways in Greece.
Moreover, the "Work Readiness Manual" created by IRC in collaboration with the Network, drawing from their experience with the project, is expected to be a valuable tool for professionals and organizations in Greece aiming to empower young people from vulnerable groups to enter the job market.
The project "Prosvasis: Program for social inclusion and empowerment of unaccompanied adolescents and young refugees" presents as its main result the holistic empowerment of 168 beneficiaries through a positive change in their lives. The partner, International Rescue Committee (IRC) undertook the financial empowerment of the beneficiaries. During the implementation of the project, 110 unaccompanied minors (adolescents), young refugees and immigrants were supported, with employment services in order to strengthen them financially and prepare them for a smoother transition to the labor market. Services included both individual professional counseling sessions and group workshops to enhance work skills and field training visits. During the project, 106 young people were supported with work counseling sessions, 42 attended workshops to enhance work skills and 25 participated in 10 field visits to museums, art sites, businesses and educational institutions. These actions aimed to expose them to new stimuli and experiences that will help them better understand the world of different professions and the city in which they live. Sixteen participants in the program received a standard job offer, while two others worked informally. The main sectors in which the young beneficiaries of the program found work were the humanitarian sector, customer service, the construction industry and production. The "Job Readiness Manual" created by IRC through its experience in the program includes training materials for group seminars as well as practical tips for their more effective implementation both online and in real life and hopes to become a useful guide for professionals and agencies in Greece. Through the Access project, adolescents and young refugees and immigrants had the opportunity to participate in advocacy for their needs and the needs of their communities through their participation in the activities of the newspaper and radio of the Network "Migratory Birds" and "Radio Pikralida Through the program "Young Journalists" (18 beneficiaries of the program participated in activities of the program, publishing 17 articles in the newspaper "Migratory Birds" and 9 radio shows) and the production of the play "A Celebration at Nourian" by the Syntechnia tou Geliou. They also participated in specially designed advocacy workshops and bilateral meetings with relevant ministries, services and agencies. More specifically, 25 young men and women participated in advocacy workshops and four meetings were held with the indirect or direct presence of children with the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum, with the Assistant Ombudsman for the Rights of the Child, with the Ministry of Education and Deree, the American College of Greece. The theatrical group Syntechnia tou Geliou created a comprehensive intervention program through 9 workshops in the theater specialties and, actively involving 54 beneficiaries of the play, carried out 20 interventions in schools all over Greece, but also expanded the planning of this action by drawing themes from the project objectives. The result of these interventions is a concise issue that as a diary describes the reasoning and actions taken throughout the implementation in a detailed and inspiring way. NCR formed the basis of all of the above, carrying out the initial needs assessment of 168 beneficiaries who were referred where their need for empowerment indicated, and providing psychosocial support and legal counseling to a total of 123 beneficiaries. The individualized plan of each beneficiary also involved the necessary targeted follow ups, resulting in 399 individual sessions with the social worker of the project. The references were varied, and many of them were made in the context of the "Youth Network" giving the opportunity to project beneficiaries to participate in learning and creative groups. As part of the legal advice, 100 individual sessions and 6 group updates on labor rights were held. The result of this process was the creation of a labor rights handbook for the project target group, which is an easy-to-use guide to their next steps.