The first year of the “School of Social Worker” project is over!
In April 2023, the Women’s Aid International charitable foundation, with the support of the US Embassy, started work on the “School of Social Worker” project.
On the occasion of the first anniversary of the implementation of the project, we would like to share the results of our work with you.
The project “School of Social Worker” is an educational program for forced migrants from the occupied, de-occupied and front-line regions of Ukraine. The goal of the project is to provide forced migrants with a new profession – “companion social worker”.
During the year of implementation of the training project, 4 groups passed. A total of 76 forcibly displaced people took part in the training, 64 of them received certificates of successful completion of the 30-hour training program.
4 graduates got a job after completing the project. It is important to note that most of the participants of the training program did not study to find a job, but wanted to learn how to properly care for elderly or disabled loved ones.
In total, more than 400 candidates submitted applications for participation in the “School of Social Worker”! Four people applied for one place in the group!
Unexpected Achievements of the Project
The biggest unexpected achievement was that the project became a place of psycho-emotional relief for women. The participants got to know each other and shared their own wartime stories. They exchanged contacts and spent time together outside of training.
Women got the opportunity to distract themselves from everyday problems and at the same time study. Studying became a reason for them to leave the house, to leave the usual daily routine. The participants were given a space for safe communication and friendship building, which is important considering that the women have changed their place of residence and overcome the difficulties of creating new social connections.
We are sincerely proud that our project was approved and became really useful!
The Women’s Aid International team sincerely thanks everyone involved in the organization of the training, the US Embassy, partners, and participants!
School of Social Worker: will there be a continuation of the project?
So far, it has been decided that with the assistance of the US Embassy, the “School of Social Worker” project has been extended for another year.
Detailed information will follow – stay tuned.
Supported by the Democracy Commission Small Grants Program of the U.S. Embassy to Ukraine. The views of the authors do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Government.
