Enhancing Social Competence of African Migrants through Lifelong Learning in Europe

<< Background >>We applied for this project because it addresses a number of needs that we believe are important. First, the project discusses educational opportunities for African migrants in Europe, which is a key component for their integration and personal development. Education enables people to expand their skills and opportunities and to get involved in society. The project also emphasizes transnational partnerships and exchange of best practices, which helps strengthen collaboration and knowledge between different organizations and countries. The project was intended to address a variety of needs, including educational opportunities, social integration, lifelong learning and transnational cooperation, all of which contribute to improving the lives of African migrants in Europe.<< Objectives >>The project was launched with the clear vision of improving educational opportunities for African migrants in Europe and promoting their integration and personal development. The aim was to achieve this goal by developing a manual. This handbook, intended for NGOs, associations, educational institutions and other organizations, was intended to serve as a guide to best support African migrants. The project was also aimed at promoting transnational partnerships and collaboration. Both experienced and less experienced partners should be involved to learn from each other and share best practices. This should not only improve educational opportunities but also strengthen cooperation between different organizations and countries. African migrants should be actively integrated into European society by providing educational opportunities and involving various partners. In addition to these main objectives, the project should also serve as a platform to strengthen the knowledge and skills of the partner organizations. Sharing best practices and working together to improve educational opportunities should help strengthen the capacities of the organizations involved.<< Implementation >>During the course of our project, we regularly held Zoom conferences and exchanged ideas in the WhatsApp group in order to achieve our goals and create the planned manual. We also met in person: Training (LTTA) in Dublin: We organized a training in Dublin where representatives of the project partner organizations came together. During this training, we worked together to develop concepts and methods that would serve as the basis for the development of the pedagogical manual. Project meeting in Reinbek (near Hamburg): Our first project meeting took place in Reinbek, where we discussed the basis for our collaboration and got to know each other better. Representatives from Niger also took part. We discussed the project goals, the schedule and the distribution of roles.Project meeting in Stockholm: Next we met in Stockholm to review the progress of the project and plan the next steps. A particular focus was on developing the manual and sharing feedback to ensure it met the needs of our target audience. The creation of the manual was based on the discussions and results of the meetings. We researched, wrote and structured content to ensure that the handbook provides a comprehensive guide to supporting African migrants in Europe.<< Results >>The results initially included the project partners getting to know each other during the various meetings and activities. These personal encounters promoted understanding and trust among each other, which made collaboration easier. Especially since representatives with a migrant background from East and West Africa took part. Furthermore, the meetings in Dublin, Stockholm and Hamburg provided insights into the African community in Europe. In particular, exploring the African scene in these cities helped participants better understand the cultural diversity and challenges faced by African migrants. During the meetings, challenges were discussed and best practices were shared. This enabled the project participants to learn from each other and develop new strategies to support African migrants. An outstanding result was the development of the handbook for supporting African migrants in Europe. This handbook has been designed as a practical resource to help organizations improve and be more effective in their work in this area.