More information
Description
There are many homeless people living in the Silesian Province, who are discriminated against by society. Due to their difficult personal situation, low social competences, abuse of drugs, lack of role models or learned helplessness, they end up in emergency shelters for the homeless. The shelters provide them with food and housing, and they also act to prevent social exclusion, which is a difficult task. As part of the project, we will provide support to 40 homeless persons who currently live in the emergency shelter in Niewiesza. We want to teach the homeless how to claim their rights effectively in various life situations. We also want to change the negative image of the homeless as social welfare recipients who disturb the spatial order of their neighbourhood. In order to achieve this, we will implement a programme of organised volunteering preceded by thematic workshops and individual support. This will enable our charges to show and use their talents and skills in local community initiatives. We will also establish an institution of an ombudsman for the homeless, who will provide individual advice to the homeless and cooperate with local authorities, NGOs and media in the area of activating these people and bringing them back to society. We will carry out an information campaign that will showcase the potential of the homeless as well as the change that has taken place thanks to this project. The project will help the homeless regain their subjectivity, increase their self-esteem and restore the sense of their lives. We believe that activation through education and volunteering will change their attitude into a proactive one, teach them how to communicate effectively and help them counteract the effects of social exclusion and discrimination.
Summary of project results
-discrimination against homeless people
-lack of educational offer for the homeless
-homeless people do not know their rights
-lack of knowledge about volunteering among homeless people
-lack of an ombudsman for the rights of homeless people
Products:
-workshop programs
-40 certificates of project completion.
-a campaign promoting volunteering for homeless people
-implemented initiatives for the local community.
- issued recommendations to other NGOs and OPS regarding the rights of the homeless
- developed project subpage
-a leaflet published describing the rights of people. homeless
Actions
-Workshops on human rights - education in this area for homeless people
-Workshops on discrimination - making homeless people aware of what discrimination is and how to defend themselves against it
-Workshops on volunteering - showing what volunteering is and what the benefits are
-Creation of a self-help group - support group
- Ombudsman for the homeless - appointing a person to represent the homeless, a person to whom they can go for help
-Individual psychological consultations - work on personal problems of homeless people
-Training of social competences - development of personal competences
-Volunteer activities - activities of homeless people for the benefit of their surroundings and local communities
-Promotional campaign- - development and printing of posters and leaflets, information boards, recording a promotional video - promotion of participants and the rights of homeless people, development and updating of the website and Facebook profile
Results:
- increased knowledge of project participants regarding their rights and the ability to demand compliance with them
-limiting discrimination within your own group
-person''s awareness homeless people when they are discriminated against
-self-presentation skills, image change
-social activity at the local level, cooperation with residents and local NGOs
-increased motivation for other forms of activity and education
- local government considering the benefits of changing social policy regarding homeless people
- officials seeing homeless people as partners for conversation and work
Impact on beneficiaries
- increasing the competences of the staff implementing the project and homeless people, improving their functioning in the shelter
- changing the attitudes of homeless people to proactive ones, which will influence the activities of the community in the shelter
-new rules of cooperation with OPS social workers, taking into account the subjectivity of homeless people
-further distribution of an educational leaflet for homeless people describing their rights -continuing educational activities
- opening of homeless people to new initiatives
- awareness of the rights of homeless people in contact with institutions and people