EMPOWER VISUALLY IMPAIRED YOUNGSTERS FOR A MORE INDEPENDENT LIVING (EMVIMIL) project financed by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union
The consortium of 6 partners starts the international project EMVIMIL, an Erasmus+ Youth 4 activity project, financed by the European Union and developed by Asociatia Babilon Travel in partnership with VIEWS International (Belgium), Karabaglar Kaymakamligi (Turkey), Mreza za Dozivotno Ucenje-Lifelong Learning Network (North Macedonia), Projekte Vullnetare Nderkombetare (Albania) and INSIDE EU (Ireland).
The project focus on supporting youth workers to develop quality activities, based on values like equality, equity, inclusion, access to education and culture, democracy and human rights, including VIPs in these activities, in order to increase their mobility, employability and sense of entrepreneurial initiatives, capacitating in this way their independent living.
The project, starting at August 1, 2021 and ending on October 31, 2022, aims to bring together visually impaired youngsters (VIP) and youth workers in order to enhance the social inclusion efforts of the young visually impaired and raise awareness about the needs and skills of the VIPs.
To achieve its objectives, the project will implement two main activities:
- A study visit in Liege and Brusselles, Belgium, between June 8-12, 2022, where 24 youth workers will be given the opportunity to not only experience the adapted infrastructure and inclusive services provided by the local community, but also meet local institutions, NGOs and social enterprises that are active in the social inclusion of VIPs;
- A youth exchange in Izmir, Turkey, between October 4-10, 2022, where, based on the experience gained through the study visit, 30 youngsters will test the set of good practices and the adaptiveness of the local infrastructure and inclusive services offered by the local community in order to include VIPs in the social life and labor market.
All activities of both, study visit and youth exchange, will be implemented according to the methodology of non-formal education in an inclusive and adapted way, considering the presence of visually impaired/blind participants.
The main aim is to support youth workers and youth to develop quality activities, based on values like equality, equity, inclusion, access to education and culture, democracy and human rights, including VIPs in these activities, in order to increase their mobility, employability and sense of entrepreneurial initiatives, capacitating in this way their independent living.