The Need To Connect-project is close to the end and the multiplier event and workshop we have organized today have covered all the highlights of this amazing project! The main focus of the day is connection of young moms and the organisation of a good smooth network around them.

NTC Presentation

Chairwoman Carla de Vreij and director Pieter van Schie were the hosts of the day and introduced the project NTC to the delegates. Projects like ‘Prachtvrouwen’ (Beautiful Women), ‘Vrouwenkracht’ (Power Women) were presented and discussed as well:

• Provide young mothers with a migration background with social assistance tools so that they can find their own way
• Help young mothers and teenmothers to create a network so that they can support each other even after the program has ended,at street, neighborhood or district level.

NTC Workshops

In the afternoon we organized the workshops in the sun in the yards around the venue. We had made a clear set up and outline of the original NTC workshops and highlighted the core elements with the delegates using a practise by doing scheme. This was highly appreciated. The feel of the workshops and feedback on the way we engaged and involved the delegates was very positive. Certain delegates of some muncipalities were interested to run the programme themselves. Two NTC-participants who attended the workshops in July and Augustas were invited to tell about their experiences: ,,The impact of the NTC-course was much bigger than I expected.”

Another Multiplier Event Coming Up: Being a Young Mother in Europe

Did you miss out our multiplier event today? Don’t worry, on September 21st at 17:30 hours you can follow the livestream of the NTC multiplier event in Malaga!

The Neet to Connect (NTC) pilot Training started on Friday July 28th. Five workshops later we finished on Friday August 25th with very satisfied and happy young mothers, becoming more aware of their true self and identity: Netmoming!

Celebration

At the beginning of the pilot all mothers introduced themselves, how happy they were and what kind of little smart obectives they had set for themselves. Talking about what your goals you want to achieve in life and discussing this with other mothers and women:

• What are your goals?
• How will you achieve your goals and keep track of your progress?
• How will this goal help you?
• And what is the deadline of achieving it?

All very important questions! On Friday August 25th we could see ten very happy mothers, who did not know each other at the start and now all have become friends, knowing the names of each others’ children and all received their certifications, supporting each other and talking about what they had achieved and still want to achieve in the future.

Netmomming

One of the major feedbacks we got from our participants is that they really liked to be in a group with other mothers. As we all know, social connections can offer a number of mental health benefits, such as improving your mood, reducing stress, and improving self-esteem. Human connections are always needed but specially in the transition of motherhood, where new fears and situations in life may appear:,, It helped me a lot to be able to speak over my problems with my children and how other mothers solved it. It was also good for my self-esteem, I could actually help other mothers out”

Mothers become more aware of their experience and identity as women and mothers through movement and interactions with the others. The 5 units of the NTC Pilot Training will be scheduled on July 28th, August 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th.

Objectives and Learning Outcomes

The Need to Connect partnership aims to fight loneliness and to empower and connect young mothers, between 18 and 30 years old, through arts education, building a sustainable national community platform and network in all partner countries. This is newsletter Nr. 2, telling more about our desk and literature research:

NTC Newsletter Number 2

The Need to Connect project has kicked off. The NTC project aims to fight loneliness, to empower and connect young mothers, between 18 and 30 years old, through arts education and to build a sustainable national community platform and network in all partner countries.

The Need to Connect project aims to fight loneliness, to empower and connect young mothers, between 18 and 30 eyars old, through arts education and to build a sustainable national community platform and network in all partner countries. The NTC project connects partners from Iceland, Bulgaria, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain.

The ‘Need to Connect’ project kicked off in Reykjavik, Iceland, on January the 18th 2022. The Need to Connect (NTC) project objective is to fight loneliness, empower and connect young mothers (18-30 years of age) trough arts training and building a sustainable national community platform in all partner countries. 

European Partnership Empowering and Connecting Young Mothers

The NTC project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. The NTC project will develop a curriculum and training program based on the results from the Need-analysis. The project focuses on given the young mothers the opportunity and capability to have impact and help other mothers in similar situations. The overall objective is to raise awareness of issues among young mothers in Europe, to develop curriculum and training program that can be used as a tool for empowerment and connection by all interested parties, and to build up a national sustainable community, a platform for young mothers, that will be managed by young mothers after the finalization of the project.

Six Partners

The partnership is formed by six entities: GEOSS from Slovenia, CESIE from Italy, Happiness Academy from Bulgaria, Consultoría de Innovación Social from Spain, Vilnius University from Lithuania and ofcourse the Dutch Foundation of Innovation Welfare 2 Work from the Netherlands. The Need to Connect project includes three project results, six multiplier events, one learning, teaching and training activity and a final conference.

Needs Analysis

Next step will be the needs analysis of young mothers in each partner country. A needs analysis is a formal, systematic process of identifying and evaluating training that should be done, or specific needs of an individual or group of employees, customers, suppliers, etc. Needs are often referred to as “gaps,” or the difference between what is currently done and what should be performed. The project uses the methodology of a Needs analysis to define and gather information on the situation of young mothers in partner countries, gaps in service/support to young mothers and getting a better understanding of the needs of the young mothers participating. The needs analysis will also be used as networking, reaching young mothers and introducing the project to stakeholders.

Let’s get started!