The SafeGuard project, started the 1st September 2014 and lasted 24 months. It aimed at enhancing the protection of children on the move through the promotion of a model for the prompt appointment and qualification of guardians in particularly congested points of arrival both at national and at EU level. Applicant was I Girasoli, an NGO based in Sicily that works with unaccompanied children to provide appropriate responses to their needs.
SafeGuard concentrated on Italy as one of the key and main entry points to Europe for unaccompanied children from the Mediterranean coasts, but it ensured a wider scope through the involvement of networks from other EU countries.
Nidos was one of the partners in SafeGuard. Other partners were International Social Service (ISS, present in 140 countries worldwide), ARCI (an Italian organization well-rooted at national/local level), the Municipality of Catania and the Italian National Authority for Children and Adolescents (which is engaged on the reform of guardianship at national level).
Capacity building aimed at strengthening and qualifying the role and functions of the guardian of unaccompanied children. A working visit to the Netherlands was organized to favor the exchange of practices and a training module for guardians was implemented through the realization of 3 training sessions.
A joint final report containing recommendations was disseminated and presented in both a final national seminar organized in Italy with the participation of national stakeholders and in a final seminar in Bruxelles.
Beneficiaries of the initiative are the guardianship system and unaccompanied children arriving in and transiting through Italy on their way to Europe.
Contact
Gabriella Gallizia
Project manager
Defence for Children International Italia
+ 39 10 0899051
gabriella@defenceforchildren.it
Marjolein Groen
Project Manager Nidos
Phone: +31 (0) 6 574 93 994
Email: m.groen2@nidos.nl