Help to people empowerment Erasmus Project

Project Title

Help to people empowerment

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Partnerships for Creativity

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Access for disadvantaged; Social entrepreneurship / social innovation; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

Our proposal, HOPE , addresses the root causes of social exclusion of marginalized and people with disadvantaged background in North Macedonia, Greece and Italy and provides real hope for their social inclusion into society based on their own creative potential. It especially addresses the needs of the people facing absolute exclusion factors, like homeless.
In Italy and Greece the topic of social inclusion thru art and creativity has been exploited at large mainly due to EU policies and financial support ( EU Commission, CULTURE, CREATIVITY AND INCLUSIVE SOCIETY Factsheet 2019) however in North Macedonia, even the national policies are adopted, the country lacks tremendously at practical solutions to this trending issue( report by public.org.mk, 2019)
The ERASMUS+ program provides opportunity to share good practices among relevant organization active in this field in all 3 partner countries.
Even more, the current COVID-19 pandemic affected the most marginalized, including the homeless, unemployed, and people dependent on social care systems the most.
Our partnership was formed upon specific experience of all 4 NGOS, as we are all working with locals with disadvantaged background to enhance their potential into skills applicable to the labor market. On the range from homeless to people with fewer opportunities we are working daily providing non-formal learning, trainings for skills development. Sustainability of our results is the main driver of our projects which can be verified that two of the partners, IN VIVO ( coordinator) and Libertutti ( partner from Italy) have established and successfully operate social cooperatives/enterprises.
Social inclusion thru creativity and arts is the right thing to do, and it also makes good economic sense. Left unaddressed, the exclusion of disadvantaged groups can be costly both to national and EU economy. HOPE has the potential to be a real example of sharing good practices under ERASMUS+ program as it supplements each partner expertise. IN VIVO and Libertutti bring the expertise in social inclusion thru skills development, Challedu brings in their experience in social inclusion thru arts and creativity and Pro Local brings their expertise in engaging the local communities to support the social inclusion of people with fewer opportunities.
It is a partnership that falls under the ERASMUS+ priority of establishment of sustainable links between organizations active in non-formal adult education.

The main goal of HOPE project is to support marginalized and people with disadvantaged background that want to challenge their current social and material status, and increase their chances for sustainable reintegration in all spheres of social life.
HOPE focuses on marginalized people ( homeless, social care recipients, migrants, people with fewer opportunities from rural parts, people with disadvantages) and aims to provide them real hope for social inclusion based on their own potential. Adult education for this specific target will result in development of their artistic skills so they can create marketable products thus provide for themselves. The social entrepreneurship dimension is added value to HOPE proposal as it secures sustainability of the results. Having people with extraordinary obstacles (economic, social, ethnic, etc) to overcome those and be engaged and benefit from the organized society is the main result derived from HOPE activities.

HOPE logic is straightforward and rooted in the practical experience of all 4 organizations included in thus strategic partnership.
Outreach to people with fewer opportunities that are not participating in society, who are not learning how to overcome their difficulties is necessary in order to achieve social inclusion.
All project partners have vast experience in working with people that are marginalized and have been out of the society, loosing the benefits of the institutional support thus lacking decent life. Many of those people have great creative and artistic potentials that can be enhanced into marketable products.

HOPE project have three-fold effect. Our specific project objectives are:
First, to help people to develop their creativity into artistic skills.
Second, to foster social inclusion of the people with disadvantaged background thru arts
and third, to promote social entrepreneurship in all 3 partner countries.

HOPE project is a real example of “hands on” approach. All 4 organizations involved in the Strategic Partnership have their strength in practical application of support for marginalized and people with disadvantaged background. This allows them to build up upon their previous activities and share best practices among each other in HOPE implementation:
-targeting of marginalized and people with disadvantaged background with creative potential.
Primary target group of HOPE project are 30 marginalized and people with disadvantaged background from North Macedonia, Greece and Italy.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 52720 Eur

Project Coordinator

Zdruzenie na gragjani za socijalen i ekonomski razvoj IN VIVO Skopje & Country: MK

Project Partners

• Challedu
• LIBERITUTTI SOCIETA COOPERATIVA SOCIALE S.P.A.
• Association for promotion of development processes PRO LOCAL Bitola