EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - Social Participation 'Ma-Pa' programme

Social Participation 'Ma-Pa' programme - Culemborg

Introduction

The project Ma-Pa (social participation) of the City of Culemborg encourages immigrant women to initiate more contact with the social environment. Low educated immigrant women in particular are encouraged to join in neighbourhood activities by means of low-threshold initiatives.

Problem

How can immigrant women become socially activated?

Description

The Social Participation project aims at getting immigrant women to join in activities. By activating the women socially, the idea is that they in turn will take increasingly more initiative and inspire other women within the community to break out of their social isolation. While participating in the activities, the women make use of the child care facilities. The projects are conducted in the immediate living environment of immigrants. Many activities are organised especially in the Terweijde district by the local authority.

Approach

The local authority aims to achieve a snowball effect through organising the following activities:
- Language lessons
- The ‘play with us’ project aimed at preventing language disadvantages among young children
- The buddy project, in which indigenous Dutch women and immigrant women get together

Results

Together with another integration project (the Key), the Ma-Pa project reached 140 immigrant inhabitants. This is twice what was initially anticipated.

Contact info

City of Culemborg
E. Rutgers, tel. +31 34 5477901

Project start date

01/09/2004

Links

City of Culemborg (in Dutch)

Document type

case

Themes

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Quality of life

Keywords

Skills improvement