Background and target groups
Europe is facing the biggest migrant crisis since the end of World War II: never before have so many people fled political persecution and war as today. Tens of thousands of desperate people from Africa, the Middle East, and Asia are seeking refuge in Europe, striving for a better life for themselves and their families.
At the same time, EU countries encounter the challenge of population aging, with the number of elderly people growing steadily in relation to the working-age population. However, many of the retired Europeans still have potential if not to stay in the workforce, then to contribute to the society in many other ways, such as active citizenship and volunteering, bringing with them their personal qualities of patience, wisdom and understanding, as well as a wealth of life and professional experience.
To tackle these critical challenges the project will address two main target groups – elderly people and migrants and refugees. Representatives of both groups tend to suffer from social isolation and are at a greater risk of social exclusion.
Our goal
With “Senior volunteers for migrant integration” project we aim to contribute to the successful integration of migrants o refugees into the host societies with the help of seniors and to tackle the social exclusion of elderly people through volunteering services to migrants.
Specific objectives
To accomplish the above aim the partnership will undertake the following objectives:
- to strengthen senior volunteers’ active citizenship and volunteering skills through the piloting training based on the training programme developed by the partnership;
- to enhance host country language learning and orientation process of migrants and refugees through the provision of the developed social and civic integration tool – guide for migrants (App) as well as offering teaching and mentoring support by the trained senior volunteers;
- to raise public awareness on the issues related to migration and aging society using the awareness raising video film developed by the project reflecting on the unique experiences of the project participants – senior volunteers and migrants and refugees.
Expected outputs
- Methodology and training programme for senior volunteers providing support for migrant and refugee integration in partner countries;
- Training material for teaching senior volunteers and its testing;
- Social and civic integration tool – guide for migrants and refugees helping them to acquire basic knowledge and understanding about host country’s sociocultural life, containing survival conversation kit with animation in partner languages and English, produced as a Mobile application (App) available for free download;
- Exploitation – contact seminars in each partner country to demonstrate practical use of Mobile application (App) and the senior volunteers’ training programme to relevant stakeholders, as well as to establish connection between service providers (trained senior volunteers) and potential “clients” (migrants and refugees) as well as representatives of organizations providing services for migrants;
- Short awareness raising video film addressing the general public in partner countries and aimed at reducing existing misconceptions and combating stereotypes on migration as well as aging society issues;
- Final international dissemination and awareness raising conference in Lithuania.
