Project title:
UPS – Unused potentials of senior migrants – senior experts for life
Programme: Lifelong Learning Programme, Grundtvig Multilateral Projects
Abstract of the project:
The project UPS addresses senior migrants, “Experts for life”, so called “voluntary guides” in different migrant milieus. They are intended to take over a bridging function towards migrants of the particular milieu, needing support in diverse areas. Appropriate senior migrants are recruited, selected with the help of an assessment centre and trained. During the selection procedure a curriculum will be developed, containing the following training modules: – linguistic training– communication training– project management– public relations– cooperation with integration agencies, charity and similar institutions– health care system of each partner country– infant care (e.g. nursery school, kindergarten)– educational system– parental involvement Social networks shall be initiated in each partner country. Access to migrants will be developed with the help of migrant self organisations, charity organisations, integration agencies and additional already existing networks.
Motivation and benefit of the project:
Migrants have to find their way in a new world, in a different society. Familiar structures of aiding one another, caring for one another, e.g. in the families, in the neighbourhood, in the circle of friends, can no longer be lived and are in the danger of being lost. On the one hand we find senior migrants, potential future „voluntary guides“, feeling useless and desolate. Their talents and competencies are not used and they would love to face up to new tasks. On the other hand we find migrants needing help. They prefer to be helped by people from their own culture group, among others because of language barriers. Possible tasks of „guides“ could be:– encouragement for training, intermediation between migrants and training institutions– child care (“Grandma”, story-telling, etc.)– sick people assistance (e.g. people only being able to communicate in their native language because of dementia, having forgotten the language of the receiving country)– home care of parents– senior care (to go on errands and walks, read stories, etc.)Our social systems (social state postulate), being based on solidarity and subsidiarity, can continue to live fruitfully thanks to this project, being closer to the experiences of migrants. The narrowing means of collective finances are released, as the individual responsibility of migrants’ increases hereby.
Targets and strategies of the project: The aim of the project is to empower migrants for self help.The strategy is as follows:recruitment of senior migrantsselection process, meanwhile:development of a curriculumtraining/coaching of senior migrantscontacting public institutions, communes, migration centres, integration agencies, charity, etc.compilation of a guide to disseminate the curriculum
Results and impact of the project: Support of immigrants in all areas while simultaneously disburdening collective finances.
Project partners:
– Institut fur Migrations- und Aussiedlerfragen HVHS St. Hedwigs-Haus e.V. (Germany, Oerlinghausen), coordinator;
– Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Department of Agricultural Economics (Greece, Thessaloniki);
– Inkerin Kulttuuriseura Ingrian Cultural Association (Finland, Helsinki);
– Centro per lo Svillupo Creative ”Danilo Dolci” (Italy, Palermo);
– VsI Socialiniu inovaciju centras (Lithuania, Siauliai).
Project duration: 2 years (2010 – 2012).
For more information about the project, please visit the project website at: http://grundtvig-ups.de/
Project activities Attention! The final product of the project, a practical guide, is now available to download. Download The project is funded by the European Commission.