SOS Families Verona
The project took care of families at risk of social marginalization and accompanied them on a shared path of sustainable growth.
The context
The project aimed to combat poverty (understood in the broadest sense) and social marginalization through the empowerment of individual families, the enhancement of relationships between individuals and small social groupings and the acquisition of solidarity behaviors.
Activities
It was aimed in particular at families residing in the territory of the Verona Community in conditions of poverty and social exclusion.
The solidarity tutor (understood as an individual, couple or family) offered, free of charge, global support to one or more families in conditions of hardship, activating close collaborations with institutions and public and private bodies in the area that carry out interventions (health, social, educational…) to support people/families in need.
The one-to-one relationship that has been created between the tutor and the family in difficult conditions has guaranteed the overall care of the family itself and its members, according to the principles of proximity and mutual help, with the aim of promoting the greatest degree of autonomy and counteracting possible processes of marginalization.
The beneficiary person/family has thus become in turn a node in the network of collaboration, which is recognized as having equal dignity and the faculty of self-determination. This system favours the creation of “solidarity communities” that work against the spread of marginalisation and discrimination, promoting active citizenship and the values of volunteering.
Results for families
The different situations of the families helped by the SOS Families project highlight how one can find oneself in situations of fragility for various reasons, which are often not controllable, such as the health situation of a family member. The creation of a support network around families, represented both by the tutors of Doctors for Peace, and by institutions, social workers, and other associations or communities, proved to be extremely important. In addition, the project’s approach of focusing on actions that are not welfare but that invest in the possibility of autonomy for families has been successful.
A room of one's own for Davide
Work against eviction
Zahira’s family consists of four people, including two small girls. They risked being evicted from the house where they live, due to economic problems. When Zahira turned to Doctors for Peace, neither parent had a job, then, also thanks to the support of the project, both found a job. The improvement in the work situation, and the presence of Doctors for the Peace as an intermediary, reassured the landlady who renewed the lease to the family. The work also allowed the family, in possession of an expiring permit for humanitarian reasons, to remain in Italy.
Ana and Guido stay together
There are four in Ana’s family: her two parents and two small girls. What led Ana to be part of the SOS family project was the absence of work for both parents. Thanks to the direct intervention and intermediation of Doctors for Peace, now both have a job, all the more important for her husband, Guido, who thanks to the employment contract was able to renew his residence permit and stay in Italy with his family.
Tackling disability together
Health problems are instead the main motivation that prompted Maria and her family of 5 to be part of the project. Iulian, one of Maria’s children, is seven years old and has severe disabilities for which he needs constant support. In fact, Iulian attends a special school for students with severe disabilities, whose tuition has been paid by the project. He has also been registered with the national health service, and together with the tutor they are looking for a house more suitable for the needs of Iulian, who moves with a wheelchair. The other members of the family also received support for the job search.
Learning to take care of yourself
Amina and her family of 5 turned to Doctors for Peace mainly for the health condition of their 16-year-old son Said. Said is diabetic, but he is not sufficiently aware of his condition, which leads him to neglect his health. Together with the tutor, Said is becoming more aware of the fact that he is diabetic and needs to take care of himself. In addition, like her sister Rachele, she follows tutoring given by volunteers to improve her school performance and recover debts. The children’s health and school problems are accompanied by parents’ work problems, who are also supported by the SOS families project.
Job Seeker
Camille is the mother of two children aged three and two, one of whom has behavioral problems that suggest a diagnosis of autism. In order to better follow her child, Camille cannot currently work at a pace that allows a satisfactory income. To support their autonomy in travel, Doctors for Peace has provided a public transport subscription. While her husband Nasir, unemployed, is receiving support from the SOS families project for a more effective active job search.
