Name of the organization: MOVE
Website: movemalta.org
Brief description of the organization
MOVE is a non-governmental organization for the promotion and innovation in sports and culture. Based in Malta, its mission is to inspire a healthier and happier future through play and creativity. This is achieved by a wide range of youth-led adventures, sports challenges, and activities that introduce children and young people to the great outdoors.
Problem addressed by the good practice
The good practice equips migrants coming from Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe with linguistic and technical skills and intercultural abilities to address the lack of employability and social inclusion among these groups.
Target groups
The target group includes young people from Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe residing in Malta, aged between 21 and 35.
Summary of the good practice
STEP UP included a series of workshops organized in partnership with CCIF. Migrants and asylum seekers arriving in Malta flee persecution in their country of origin or are driven by poverty. Most of these persons experience traumas during their voyage across the Mediterranean sea which may harm their mental well-being and social skills and hence the inclusion in the host society. As their background and qualifications do not usually match the labor market demands in Malta, these people often face a lack of employment opportunities which further contributes to their social exclusion. Taking into consideration these circumstances, STEP UP aimed to reach out to migrants and asylum seekers who find themselves excluded both socially and economically, and to help them overcome cultural challenges and empower them to reach their full potential by leveraging on their technical background and talents. This was achieved mainly through professional training, coaching, mentoring, and hands-on training and experience by volunteering in the local communities.
A series of workshops were tailored to the needs of the target audience and encompassed necessary knowledge and tools to foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, up to helping the participants to create their business plan, based on their knowledge and abilities as well as by explaining cultural, social and economic realities in Malta. Local volunteers from Malta were involved as trainers and facilitators to allow intercultural exchange and dialogue and help the participants overcome social isolation throughout the program.
Evaluation
The attendance record, the participants’ feedback and the future inclusion and labor market integration of the participants were taken into account. While some participants successfully started their own enterprises including music and dance projects, others could not fully benefit from the programme as they were taking up casual jobs to make a living and had to skip some lessons.
Recommendations
A lesson learned from STEP UP is that it is important to encourage the participants to attend all the training sessions. Since many migrants with a lack of access to formal employment take up unstable casual jobs, it is recommended to make prior arrangements with the participants to ensure maximum participation. Lack of access to day-care facilities for single mothers and families can also be a factor. Some solutions to consider: offering the participation stipend; arranging day-care facilities for children with families; offering highly flexible / evening courses; creating highly engaging and interactive digital sessions as an alternative to skipped lessons.
Resources
More information is available on the organization’s website.