Youth in Action is a European fund that enables the training and mobility of young people and those who work with/for them across and between EU countries (and other countries further afield). Cyfanfyd recently received funding to host a Feasibility Visit with representatives of the African Empowerment Centre in Stockholm and it is hoped that this will lead to future projects, activities and links between our two countries.
Amra Heco and Amin Barkhardle spent three days in Wales and met formally and informally with Cyfanfyd and other colleagues, to share ideas and discuss potential future work. The visit began with a ‘getting to know you’ session with Cyfanfyd followed by informal meetings with representatives from UNA Exchange, FRED (foundation for refugee education), Christian Aid, Ethnic Minorities Communities First Team and a Zimbabwean youth worker from Newport. Areas for discussion included young people’s empowerment and education about MDGs, Rights, identity, citizenship and democracy. These were themes that were to recur during the visit and which may form the basis of future collaboration.
More in depth visits also took place, starting with the Somali Integration Society in Cardiff, which provided an opportunity for Amra and Amin to understand and to visit the city’s long standing Somali community and to see youth workers in action in the Butetown area.
The delegates also visited Swansea to meet with representatives of the City of Sanctuary and Swansea Bay Refugee and Asylum Seekers Support Group and to hear about the efforts that are being made to make Swansea a safe and welcoming place for people to come to. After that we spent time with the Ethnic Youth Support Team (EYST) and were able to visit their award winning drop in centre and meet with workers and young people there. These visits highlighted the needs of young people who are trying to integrate into a new culture while maintaining their ethnic identities and links with ‘home’.
A final follow up day allowed us to evaluate the visit and to begin to make plans for future activity.