Society’s expert team mostly uses their previous experience gathered by ensuring professional support to immigrants in order to give assistance to the target group of the project.
“Since the launch of the project we have consulted over 50 target group clients on various legal matters. In most cases they were consulted on employment, civil law. Clients are mostly interested in job opportunities, receiving and extending residence permits, learning Latvian and taking the language exam,” informs Legal Consultant Gita Miruskina (Gita Miruškina).
Latvian language and conversational language courses within the project are arranged by involving active volunteers based inLatviaincluding third-country nationals. Not only does it facilitate language learning required for easier integration in society but also increase quantity and quality of social contacts of third-country citizens thus giving more opportunities for communication and use of Latvian in family and daily life. Currently training courses are actively attended by 86 third-country nationals.
Creative workshops for kids and parents and self-help group’s For Each Other interactive classes are attended by women and children from third countries as well asLatvia on a weekly basis.
Elena K. who moved to Latvia from Russia tells, “Although I am very communicative, I have a small circle of connections because soon after I arrived inLatviaI had a baby so I spent most of the time at home. But now when I attend creative classes the situation has changed. The chance to meet other moms and practice Latvian has helped me a lot to socialize. The atmosphere in classes is great – we can discuss our problems as well as success. If we need any help, society experts are always responsive and willing to give a piece of advice. Thanks a lot to the society also for organizing trips to get to know Latvian culture and traditions better!”
Project integration activities also engage third-country nationals – seniors who together with Riga Active Senior Alliance (RASA) are participating in joint integration events facilitating unity, integration in society, and support to the project’s direct target group as well as Latvian seniors.
In March two volunteer motivation seminars to create awareness of volunteer work were held for the purpose of improving volunteer team engaged in arranging project activities.
Volunteer Coordinators Reinis Gravitis (Reinis Grāvītis) and Viktorija Rjascenko (Viktorija Rjaščenko) tell, “Latvian society is made of people of all ages – both locals and immigrants. Project activities are organized so that people of any age could engage in the processes with their peers and other generations. Volunteer activities are supplemented by motivational training on time management and conflict management that gave participants great ideas for daily planning and preparing / participating in Ricu Racu (Riču Raču) events. The youth may also participate in other activities – senior, mom club etc. In this project implementation of activities constitutes a small part of what is required to achieve the aim. Joint work and conversations in various languages, experience and knowledge exchange among one another – that is the most important thing in the integration process which is long and uninterrupted.”
Within the framework of the project Information Days are organized in order to ensure all participants of Latvian language courses, Latvian conversational language club and other people involved in project activities a chance to master and practice knowledge gained. The first Ricu Racu event took place in Ozolnieki Cultural House on April 5. The event gathered locals as well as third-country nationals from Ozolnieki, Olaine, Riga, Salaspils, Stopini, and Liepaja. Ricu Racu served as an opportunity for its participants to get to know foreign cultures, find out about information resources available to third-country nationals and get expert consultations. Project developers inform that Information Days will take place on May 17 in Salaspils and on June 7 in Stopini.
In order to raise public awareness of integration of third-country nationals and their achievements while living in Latvia the project offers special stories on internet TV www.nvotv.lv and a TV show on integration Man ir... on LTV7.
Resource www.dzivotlatvija.lv is updated on a regular basis to ensure immigrants with information on rights and opportunities inLatvia according to their needs.
There is an ongoing active cooperation with other NGOs active in the area of immigrant integration to improve the possibility to use funding of the EU and Latvian state to ensure Latvian language learning as well as cooperation and engagement opportunities to third-country nationals and Latvian residents. On May 7 and 8 Centre for Public Policy PROVIDUS will organize Citizens’ Debate on Immigration to find solutions to living with immigration inLatvia.
*Third-country nationals are all persons other than citizens of EU, EEA states or Swiss Confederation.
The project is co-financed by the European Union. Implementation of the project "Diverse Solutions for Public Education and Integration 2" is co-financed by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals (75%) and state budget (25%). This publication is supported by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals. Responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the society “Shelter “Safe House””.
Additional information for media:
Rasa Saliņa, PR specialist
Mob. tel. no. (+371) 22026355
rasa.salina@patverums-dm.lv
