Project 28 participants are female asylum seekers, in Italy with their children, spouses or relatives, from various nations, and assisted by local mentor women.
The project is hosted at the American Corner Trieste / Associazione Italo Americana FVG.
In January 2020 the “28” community service project for adolescent girls began to take shape. The women created a discreet zipper bag for a 1st period kit called “28”, containing personal care supplies for a girl’s backpack or purse and ready for emergencies. The project is in continuous evolution.
At the time of writing, the objective is to produce and fill 50 “28” kits by March 6th for a mini-launch for International Women’s Day.
We meet for a workshop every Friday morning from 9-12. Dialogue, coffee and friendship are key to the success of the workshops. Refugee, Italian and American women work together to create a useful item to help young women.
Would you like to volunteer to join us? Can you sew? Are you in women's health? Do you have experience as a Social Worker? COME and JOIN US!
The History of the Project:
Starting with a November 2019 coffee break proposed by a social worker and hosted at the American Corner, with the objective of encouraging refugee women to venture outside the walls of their apartments to socialize and integrate, the project quickly developed into a weekly craft workshop and coffee. We had been unsuccessful in involving refugee women in mixed gender English classes and activities for refugees.
Initially the women produced holiday decorations for an in-house Holiday Market in December.
CURRENT SITUATION
We meet for a workshop every Friday morning from 9-12. Dialogue, coffee and friendship are key to the success of the workshops. Refugee, Italian and American women work together to create a useful item to help young women.
We are reaching out to:
- Potential sponsors for sanitary materials, brochures
- Professional Health Care Workers and the Local Public Health Agency
- Social Workers
- Schools
- Women who sew
Project 28 is a "Sister" Project to the "Refugee Bear Project" in which Refugee Men produce unique Teddy Bears.