FEAD 2018 Catalogue of case studies

Latvia – ‘Fish and not only’: Learning how to fish to improve self-sufficiency Latvian First Aid Unit Images © Silva Bišofa, 2017 WHY? Poverty and social exclusion are pressing issues in the region of Liepaja, affecting a significant number of households. The abundance of water sources such as rivers, lakes and ponds in Latvia prompted the Latvian First Aid Unit to promote fishing as a way to support vulnerable members of society to be self-sufficient and foster a sense of community belonging in the long term. WHAT? ‘Fish and not only’ seeks to foster the social inclusion of the most deprived families who reside in Liepaja and five surrounding municipalities (Aizpute, Durbe, Grobina, Nica and Priekule). Beneficiaries of FEAD food distribution can participate in workshops that provide them with practical knowledge on how to fish and then use these skills independently on a daily basis to improve the well-being of their families. Fishing can indeed allow them to save money on food and provide for the household’s daily needs . The project also offers the participants the chance to meet and work together as a further method of combatting social exclusion. Diverse approaches to supporting Europe’s most deprived: FEAD case studies 2018 38