EMPOWERED WOMEN EMPOWER WOMEN – WOMEN FOR WOMEN INTERNATIONAL, AFGHANISTAN

Project initiator:

Women for Women International

Since 1993, Women for Women International have helped more than 500,000 marginalized women throughout eight countries worldwide obtain the necessary tools to create a way out of poverty and crisis in addition to achieving economic and health stability — thus transforming their communities in a sustainable way.

Women in Afghanistan experience various forms of physical and psychological violence, societal discrimination, forced marriage, sexual abuse and exclusion. Many women have neither access to health care nor to education and therefore no opportunity to exercise their rights.

Women for Women International has been working with marginalized women in Afghanistan for the past 17 years, supporting them to educate themselves, to be able to exercise and defend their rights and thereby gain sufficient decision-making abilities in their families and village communities as well as achieving independence and future prospects.

Branches of the project initiator:

Women for Women international operates in war-torn and conflict affected countries around the world, including Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria.
They also have locally registered affiliate organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.

Project description:

The support of the NEUMAYER STIFTUNG will enable the implementation of Women for Women International’s globally successful concept of a one-year holistic social and economic empowerment training course in regions in Afghanistan, which have not been reached until now. This opens up the possibility of reaching an additional 300 marginalized women in Afghanistan who have still not yet had any access to educational programs. During the three years grant period, three groups will each undergo twelve months of integral training with the aim of imparting fundamental skills for securing their livelihoods.
As a reaction to the instable social and political situation within the country, women for women international are currently focussing on providing emergency humanitarian aid. The team continuously supports afghan women countrywide especially in regards to facing their daily challenges such as hunger, cold, violence and the covid-pandemic.

Project aims:

Women for Women International creates safe places for women and an environment in which health, nutrition and active participation in social decision-making processes can be discussed with trust and confidence. During the 12-month training program, basic knowledge and key core competencies will be imparted. The focus areas are (1) education on critical life-skills, including health, hygiene and nutrition, managing money, rights and decision-making; (2) business-oriented training in numeracy, budgeting and marketing, and a chosen vocation aligned with local markets; (3) resource provision in the form of a monthly cash stipend, savings mechanisms, and referrals to health and legal services. In addition, a network is created in which women support, exchange and encourage each other.

Project location:

Afghanistan

Project start:

2019

Project target group(s):

Marginalized women in Afghanistan

Contact details of the project initiator:

Women for Women International (DE) gGmbH
Poststrasse 6
20354 Hamburg
Handelsregister HRB 153306
Telefon: +44 (0)20 7922 7765
E-Mail: kontakt@womenforwomen.org
www.womenforwomeninternational.de

KIFA ROMANIA IN THE „HOUSE OF FRIENDSHIP“, DON BOSCO IN ROMANIA

Project initiator:

Asociatia Organizatia Caritas a Diecezei (Diözesancaritas Satu Mare)

The childcare centres of Diözesancaritas Satu Mare look after children from socially vulnerable Romanian, Hungarian and Roma families, some of whom have grown up in poverty. Most of them live in run-down areas of the city of Satu Mare, Romania. Child poverty doesn’t just mean that material needs aren’t met. It’s an all-encompassing phenomenon that affects the whole of the child’s personal development and influences the rest of their life.

The KIFA Romania project aims to prevent poverty from having these negative consequences. The „KIFA“ concept has already been successful in Germany. „KIFA“ stands for „Kinder- und Familienbildung“ [education for children and families], and is an operational project that NEUMAYER STIFTUNG has been running since 2008. It is now being established in Satu Mare. Implementation of the project in Romania is based on professionals from Romania work-shadowing at KIFA in Germany.

Project description:

Trained teachers make sure that children in the Romanian facility learn and internalise all of the rules that will enable them to integrate fully into society. They start with basic hygiene and cover everything up to social norms. This opens up doors for the future. Families benefit from financial and non-financial assistance that prevents children from having to leave education early.

Courses and joint recreational opportunities involve parents in the educational work and encourage them to play an active part. This helps to develop parenting skills and also gives parents insights into society that lead to new opportunities and improved integration. Parents are given guidance to improve their parenting skills and test out ways in which they can change their behaviour to be positive role models for their children.

Project aims:

To give parents support with everyday tasks and to improve their independence, in order to create a positive attitude about their children attending kindergarten or school. This supports the role of the parents and there is a high probability that it will lead to children remaining in public education institutions for longer.

The parents’ sense of responsibility increases, their problem-solving skills improve in cases of illness, problems with education and with regard to family resources. Last but not least, the project aims to increase interest in books, education and cultural offers and therefore to promote equal opportunities.

Project location:

Satu Mare, Carei / Romania

Project start:

2015

Project target group(s):

Roma families from Satu Mare and the local population of the district where the children live. (Parents who have received training act as role models for parental behaviour for everybody in the local communities).

LEHR:WERKSTATT

Project initiator:

Tübingen School of Education

Tübingen School of Education is a cross-faculty, scientific institution that coordinates, organises and realizes studying, teaching and research activities relating to teacher education at the University of Tübingen. The training topics are grouped into and covered in six fields: studying and teaching, inclusion & diversity, professionalism, research and support of young people.

Lehr:werkstatt [Teaching Workshop] is an alternative form of internship for student teachers on the Bachelor of Education course.

Project description:

Instead of the three-week work placement, students („Lehr:werker“) who take part in the Teaching Workshop work in tandem with a mentoring teacher („Lehr:mentor“), and have the opportunity to shape and experience everyday life in school throughout the entire academic year. Students get the chance to put themselves and their teaching skills to the test in various forms of tandem teaching. The tandems are put together in a matching process and receive support for their cooperation.

Project aims:

To strengthen team spirit in the staffroom and to introduce new methods such as „team teaching“. This gives students the opportunity to work together intensively with experienced teachers and gives them a deeper insight into the work of a teacher and their everyday life. Students can become familiar with school structures and issues from a teacher’s point of view, throughout the school year. Future teachers are given the opportunity to gain teaching experience and slowly find their way into the role of teacher. Two “teachers” per class enable more individual support for pupils. („More people per pupil“)

Project location:

Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg

Project start:

2016

Project target group(s):

Student teachers studying for a Bachelor of Education (teaching post at a grammar school) and teachers