Creative Workshop Project

Project goal:

To empower disadvantaged single mothers by providing a learning, socializing, training and work frame adapted to their specific needs. We offer disadvantaged mothers an environment in which they gain confidence, feel responsible in a real manner toward what they are doing (because products are sold), and they learn how to do it (specifically textile toys manufacturing). Through this process, mothers gain skills that they can later apply in other posts in the labor market. We aim for financial autonomy and thereby the gain of necessary family resources to prevent child abandonment.

Objectives:

• To support single disadvantaged mothers in acquiring work-related abilities and in developing basic skills in tailoring.

• To facilitate socio-professional inclusion for single mothers through development of job-searching and social skills necessary for integration into the labor market.

• To raise social awareness of the variety of problems that single-parent families are challenged with.

 Activities:

• Within group meetings with the support of a tailoring instructor, mothers learn to tailor, handicraft, and do manual work to create textile toys, small decorative objects, greeting cards, and other products.

• Concepts like punctuality, respect for co-workers, responsibility for the work done, respecting rules at a workplace, the importance and benefits of teamwork/working with others, and other workplace skills are constantly emphasized within group and individual meetings.

• We facilitate communication, connection, cooperation, friendship, experience sharing and mutual support among the mothers. We emphasise their contribution to support other mothers in need.

• We develop actions meant to attract the community support through volunteers who contribute either to the workshop activities or to the products’ design, to the promotion materials, to being present with the products at fairs and events, etc.

• We develop actions meant to sensitize the community to the single mothers in need issues, difficulties,and to attract as much support as possible for our beneficiaries

• We promote and sell objects created by mothers through social networks, events, and fairs. The funds raised are used to support other disadvantaged single mothers.

• Individualized social counseling: support for acquiring healthy parenting practices; support for obtaining legal rights and social benefits; emotional support in overcoming difficult situations like divorce, death of the partner, job loss, and health issues; assistance in accessing community resources like day care centers for the children and medical assistance.

• Support for identifying and following qualification courses or to continue school courses; support for finding and maintaining a job.