SIMETRIA - Promotion of Nutritional and Social Equity

Project facts

Project promoter:
Liga Portuguesa de Profilaxia Social
Project Number:
PT06-0004
Target groups
People at risk of poverty,
Non governmental organisation
Status:
Completed
Initial project cost:
€218,698
Final project cost:
€159,708
From EEA Grants:
€ 115,389
The project is carried out in:
Portugal

Description

Given that Portugal is in a situation of economic crisis, which is affecting many of its families, and has a high prevalence of obesity and cardiovascular diseases it is urgent to develop intervention projects at the local level which can contribute to improve the practices of social support institutions and to effectively transform unhealthy habits. In this regard, we believe that SIMETRIA – Projeto de Promoção de Igualdade Nutricional e Social [Symmetry – Project for the Promotion of Social and Nutritional Equality] takes these concerns into consideration and is streamlined with the global objective of EEA Grants – the reduction of social and economic inequalities. Considering this, the current project aims at: a) Enabling professionals (approximately 300) – social work, health professionals and other professionals acting in socially and economically vulnerable settings – by training to implement and monitor educational actions and programs directed at poor and low income families; b) To improve the institutional and professional practices (4 reference organizations) in areas such as food safety and equal access to an healthy diet through the systematic and close work of a multidisciplinary consulting team working directly with the professionals in these organizations and with the most vulnerable populations The main direct beneficiaries of this initiative will be the social support and health professionals. Indirectly, this project will impact the populations served by the organizations served by these professionals and therefore contribute to the reduction of social and nutritional inequalities among the many vulnerable groups (unemployed and beneficiaries of basic income grants, children and youth at risk, older people, among others).

Summary of project results

SIMETRIA Project was promoted by The Portuguese League for Social Prophylaxis in partnership with the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of Porto University. Its main goal was to training professionals who acts in vulnerable social contexts with knowledge and skills that can improve their action in reducing inequalities related to access to food and health. In order to achieve this goal, the SIMETRIA Project promoted 15 training cycles of 51 hours, 7 workshops of 15 hours. Contents such as: management of diets; hygiene and food safety; social economy; food-related exclusion and citizenship; intervention in vulnerable groups were part of the training programs. Fifteen training cycles were performed in 10 cities from the north of Portugal, and involved 231 trainees, mainly women, from 79 institutions. The workshops were attended by 89 trainees from 36 institutions. The workshops differ from the training cycles, as they aimed to be more practical. Asides from the training, SIMETRIA offered consultancy to 4 different social organizations. The consultancy process was negotiated and tailored according to the needs of each organization and aimed to change the organizational practices in ways that result in a higher access to healthy, nutritious and safe foods by the organization beneficiaries. Having reached a varied set of organizations and professionals working with very different populations, the project could map the difficulties, limitations and improved the current practices of social professionals and organizations.

Summary of bilateral results