ESF-SI-2024-UA-01-0044
Innovative youth volunteering programme for social inclusion of Ukrainian refugees
The project aims to fund mixed groups of volunteers, comprising both Ukrainian and local individuals in Poland, the Czech Republic, and France, undertaking general interest missions to assist the Ukrainian refugee community.
With an estimated 8 million Ukrainian refugees displaced by conflict, there is a pressing need for innovative solutions to facilitate their integration into host communities. Poland and the Czech Republic remain at the forefront of the global effort for Ukraine, with an estimated 2 million and 800,000 displaced people still hosted. We chose to focus on those countries, and have a specific focus on regions where Ukrainian refugees are the most concentrated 1) Lublin and its surroundings, close to the border, exemplary of national Polish effort towards Ukraine 2) the remote and less advantaged situation in Czechia, and the least favoured regions of the country 3) the links of Nancy, and in general Lorraine sub-region of France, with Ukraine and Poland, exemplary of a second line, Western Europe, involvement with the assistance for alleviation of the conflicts’ impact.
We aim to use volunteer work as a tool for the socio-professional integration of young Ukrainian refugees into local communities. With youth unemployment rates among refugees reaching as high as 55%, providing opportunities for skill development and community engagement is crucial for their long-term success. This project also aims to enhance understanding and foster positive relationships between Ukrainian refugees and local populations. By engaging in joint volunteer missions, Ukrainian refugees and local youth come together to collaborate on community projects. This initiative approach not only helps break down cultural barriers and enriches the personal and professional development of all involved, meaning participants gain invaluable skills such as teamwork, communication and leadership. The fact that we include an EU mobility aspect in this, by enabling exchanges of volunteers between sites, reinforces these effects even more.
Funding: 564,760.00 Eur