Bridging Families: Healthy and Wealthy Together

1. European Project: “Healthy and Wealthy Together” At distance families and family rejoining Soleterre case study: Integrated Support Experiences between ♦ Italy and Ukraina ♦ Italy and El Salvador

2. In carrying out actions for development of their native communities In supporting women and migrating families to manage with more awareness their migrating project, in their main aspects (job, family’s relations, rights) between Italy and the Native Country ASSOCIATION “SOLETERRE” COOPERATION/DEVELOPMENT Soleterre Association studies and realizes co- international projects inside a co-development view by promoting migrants’ active role In 2008, - in Milan - a “CENTRE” is set up, which gives an integrated support to migrants (on legal, psychological, social and job matters), in contact with the twin CENTRES, operating in Marocco, El Salvador and Ukraina, in cooperation with Milan Municipality governance system on family reunifications.

3. Reception to migrants at 360° Transnational dimension of migrating project and of belonging to communities The dimension of working and family’s project POLICY Milan’sSystem Joint Work with Staffs In Native Countries With Migrants groups and associations Integrated approach Families’ Counselling Job and business orientation Support to rejoining and at distance families Legal Consultation

4. THE EL SALVADOR CASE WHERE:Milan, San Salvador and Chalatenango PARTNERS: Soleterre/San Salvador, Romero Community in Milan /Chalatenango, (with Consulate El Salvador in Milan support, and Italian Embassy support in El Salvador) FUND:Lombardia Region, Labour, Health and Social Policies Ministry. WHO:First-emigrating women (around 70% women from El Salvador are resident in Milan), families of origin CASES: at distance conflict relationship, family cohesions (this nationality doesn’t need a VISA), mostly with minors sons (around 50 per year in Milan according to experience of Romero Community)

5. THE UKRAINA CASE WHERE:Milan and the Region of L’viv PARTNERS:Foundation Zaporuka, Women Perspectives (with the support of the Regional Social Policy Department of L’viv) FUND:Unicredit Foundation WHO:Women (81% over 40 in the Region of Lombardia - 2009), most of them employed as care assistants in families (46% cohabiting with employer- 2009) and families of origin, schools, institutions. CASES:“Italian Syndrome” (as a consequence of the isolation of working conditions and of “freezed” family relationships), at distance family relations, rejoining of adult children and, just recently, minors too (nephews of reunited daughters, minors as consequence on immigration amnesty in 2009)

6. Legal and/or psychological interview/ group meetings Interviews with psychologist/group meetings “Family blazon” SUPPORT TO REJOINING AND TO AT DISTANCE FAMILIES: GOALS AND TOOLS • Information/awareness on family and immigration rights, assistance to documents preparation, orientation to territorial services. • To promote a planning of rejoining family, accompanying sons and parents • To promote a shared family project. Mothers/ their sons, and the native family-/other members of the family, either in Italy, as in Native Country. • To promote awarness on migrant family identity in Italy and in the Native Country. (How I see myself? How the Italian society is looking at me? How the people from my Native Country are looking at me?) Notebook of the families IIntercultural mediation / groups and Associations

7. PILOT PROJECT : TRANSNATIONAL COMMUNICATION WITH EL SALVADOR WHAT IS IT • A service, where it is possible for migrants in Italy - in a “Centre“ of Milan - to get in touch through SKYPE with their family in El Salvador. • A group process to accompany, to support and to share the difficulties of transnational communication, in order to elaborate the emotional and psychological feelings connected to family relations changes and to being parents at distance. • A place - where all the migrant families, both in Italy and in El Salvador – are assisted by a joint work staff: intercultural mediator, psychologist, educator and legal consultant

8. REALIZATION OF THE PROJECTTIME AND PERFORMANCE 10 families meeting monthly as a pilot group ( 4/5 hours ) Joint Work Staff: Intercultural Mediator, Psychologist, Educator. Three phases meeting NATIVE COUNTRY 1 PHASE Group process: Narration activity on family ITALY 2 PHASE Individual Skype communication The three generation family The migrant 3 PHASE Writing a diary of the family

9. RESULTS • EL SALVADOR • 10 families have followed the program of transnational communication in 2009-2010: • 7 families are evaluating the reunification in Italy, 3 ongoing ( 2010 ) • 3 families have decided not to re, but they have improved their own at a distance relations ( 2010 ) • 40 families’ cases have been supported in 2009-2010: post-reunification phase, couple conflicts related to reunification process, lonely mothers, minors deseases. • UKRAINA • 14 women involved in the first process for the transnational web-site communication. • Different families’ cases: divorces, rejoinings with adult children with depression problems, and with nieces.

10. OUTSTANDING POINTS Families at distance don’t have a common family project: migrating members and left-behind members aren’t able to elaborate a common project, because of the distance and the new family’s condition. This is a reason why the family relationships could be seriously affected during the rejoining process (ex. El Salvador) or in a protracted life at distance (cfr. Ukraina). The emigrating families have to be accompanied and supported in the process, in welcoming country and in native country. It native contry it’s important to accompany not just the son but also adult who are in charge of their education in order to promote a shared family project (economic and educational ones).and to prevent deseases Importance of governance and policy action at two levels: 1) At institutional level: welfare transactional policies, migrants family’s programs in emigration countries (family reunifications, family economical investment, etc…) 2) At local level (families and Communities level): orienting families and local communities in their strategies of savings and investment (remittance and co-development ) / deconstructing migrant condition stereotypes