The Project

Currently, three members are working on this project, Khaleda, Sandra en Elske. We have chosen to take part in this project because we think it is important that young mothers think about their future. Due to the fact that they have gotten a baby, they have dropped out of school or quit their job. By means of our workshop we attempt to make them think about the benefits of getting an education or applying for a job again. We will support them in making the first steps to the UWV or a study advisor. Also we will keep in touch with these young mothers to support them through difficult times (by means of e-mail and our Hyves account: http://rotm.hyves.nl). At this moment we are taking steps to make the project self-sustaining, so that either the young mothers themselves or tutors could lead the project in the future.

SIFE and UWV

It is important for SIFE to get into contact with organizations in the area and this is why we have chosen to collaborate with a Dutch governmental institution, Uitvoeringsinstituut WerknemersVerzekeringen (UWV). The UWV is not only responsible for distributing social security payments, but also helps the unemployed to find a suitable job/education. Our project was well received by the UWV (mainly by work coaches) and they were prepared to help us whenever possible. For example, we were given information packets to hand out in our workshops containing information about the role of the UWV (how they can help young mothers) and about the job-interviewing process. In addition, we have arranged with the UWV that if they have a group of young mothers that we give our workshop to them in the UWV. This creates a “win-win situation” for both SIFE and the UWV.

Workshop

On Monday 26th of April we had our first workshop in the Noorderpoort College in Veendam. After some preparations, the girls arrived in the classroom. We gave a short introduction about the workshop and about ourselves.

The workshop was set up as an inspiration game which had three stages. Through the different stages of the game the girls would find out why it was important to go back to work, what they needed in order to find a job or education, and what they particularly like and dislike in a job. Furthermore, they did a career test; get a short explanation about writing their CV and a motivation letter and some tips on job interviews.

In all three stages of the inspiration game the girls choose several cards about different subjects. After they have made their choices, we discuss this with them in class. Through their answers and choices of the cards their problems will not get solved immediately, but it will raise awareness about their problems and obstacles they face.

The career test included 15 questions. Each question consisted of three statements and each statement had a different number. The girls had to circle the statement that best fitted with them. At the end they would find out what job they should do by looking at which number they had chosen most often. The results of the career test matched with what the girls really wanted to do.

Since the girls will not apply for a job in the near future we only provided them with a short explanation about writing a CV and a motivation letter. We gave them a brochure with examples and tips about the whole interviewing process.

After the workshop the girls filled in an evaluation form. From the evaluation we found out that they found the workshop nice and inspiring. They thought that the game was not only fun but it also stimulated them to show their feelings together with girls that shared the same experiences as them.

Contact information:

If you have any questions, comments and/or suggestions about this project, then you can contact us directly by using the following e-mail address: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it