Interview of Nadia – Cultural mediator for Asev

y@nnis — Mon, 10 Jun 2019 19:32:55 +0000

At the Italian school of Montespertoli (province of Florence), a final event took place on the morning of June 6th to conclude the Italian course and the mentoring activities of the WEMIN project. Many migrant women attended the classes. The women were happy about the opportunities offered by the school. The event was organized at the end of Ramadan, so all of them were able to participate and celebrate together. However, the ladies requested that their faces do not appear in the pictures to protect their privacy, feeling that this was a confidential moment to share time in a group that has strengthened its ties over time. During the party, Nadia (Cultural mediator for Arab and French language) oriented the women of the class towards supporting services and legal protection activities present in the territory of Empoli (close to their villages).

I asked Nadia, of Moroccan origin, what motivates her in the daily work as mediator and interpreter. She said:

“I especially love helping migrant women: they are the ones who have to take care of many things in the family. They often have difficulties reading and writing. Even in the past, I had to start my life all over again, which is why I feel them as very close, almost sisters. So for me, it is not only a job but also a source of satisfaction and joy, especially when I can see their lives changing thanks to the fact they learn to speak Italian, they become independent to access to health, legal and social services”.

Need Analysis and Problem Solving at the Legal Office

y@nnis — Mon, 07 Oct 2019 17:16:37 +0000

Empoli – Florence province (IT)

A first meeting between the Legal Office of the Sprar* – supported by the Municipality of Empoli – in collaboration with the Wemin project was organized in Empoli the 6^th September 2019.

Story of change from Italy: Beauty, from Nigeria

y@nnis — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 19:50:53 +0000

I’m worried about the job. I go everywhere to submit my CV: shops, restaurants, families’ services. My dream is to find a part-time job so I can continue taking care of my daughter when she gets out from school. With the Italian language, it is still difficult; talking to my daughter’s teachers is not always easy. Now my little girl attends kindergarten and seems happy to go. When I leave her there, she doesn’t cry anymore, and she can’t wait to see her friends.

Story of change from Italy: Faith, from Nigeria

y@nnis — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 19:59:24 +0000

I go to school three days a week, the teacher taught me many things: to talk, to greet, to ask for information. I learn how to write documents for job searching and to be independent in attending training and services. After school I often go to the African shop in the city, there I meet friends and I can talk and share my feelings. I still don’t have Italian friends, still I feel more at ease with friends from my country and with whom we understand each other without problems. Anyway I know I have to overcome this difficulty and to look for a job I have to improve Italian otherwise I will not succeed in finding a job!

Story of change from Italy: Manema, from Guinea Conakry

y@nnis — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 19:58:44 +0000

In my Country I was graduated in Law. Now I have to start again my life. Three times a week I used to go to school. Now I attend a cooking course where I learn Italian cuisine: especially Tuscan cuisine. I go to the vocational training five times a week from 9 am to 5.45 pm. We cook with the teachers and we do both practice and theory. The thing I like most is the practice! I like to understand how recipes are prepared, especially how to make bread, fresh pasta. I am also able to make a good pizza. At the training they thought me the “maths” of cooking: if you mess up an ingredient, everything will go wrong. I have to study more to learn how to make good cakes. In November I will begin an internship in a restaurant in town!

Final event of the WEMIN Project – Enhancement of female knwoledge

y@nnis — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 15:58:49 +0000

On Friday 29 November 2019, a group of women gathered in the feminist library in Florence: Senegalese, Moroccan, Egyptian, French and Italian. They are the women who participated in our WEMIN project activities and decided to celebrate the conclusion of the project with us.