FEAD 2018 Catalogue of case studies

For more information regarding the project, contact Evija Kleina, Society Integration Foundation, Intermediate Body of FEAD: E-mail: evija.kleina@sif.gov.lv Phone: +37167078175 WHO? The project is led by the partner organisation Latvian First Aid Unit (Latvijas pirmās palīdzības vienība): two employees and two volunteers oversee the organisation of the learning workshops. They collaborate with the ichthyologist Jānis Burdajs, an expert on different fish species, and the teacher Gunta Riekstiņa, from the ‘fishing school’ of the Liepaja Children and Youth Centre, both of whom have extensive experience in teaching young people how to fish. HOW? To be eligible, participants must have a statement issued by the social services which attests they are in need or they are dealing with crisis or emergency situations. With the support of experienced teachers, participants learn how to fish and use these skills in their daily life. The workshops are organised near to water sources, which allows teachers to provide participants with practical tips, such as how to prepare a fishing rod and use natural indicators to determine the best fishing time. At the end of each session, all the participants, organisers and volunteers work together to cook their own fish soup, providing them with an opportunity to socialise . Equipping the younger participants with practical and long-lasting knowledge of how to fish is also among the goals of the events. For this reason, a learning game is organised to engage them and give them the chance to practically employ the new skills they have gained. The Latvian First Aid Unit was able to organise a cycle of six events and engage 28 participants in 2017, including families and children. Many participants stated that it was the first time they had had the opportunity to fish and realised how useful fishing can be for improving household food self-sufficiency. 1 FEAD support is provided to persons with a household income level not exceeding EUR 188 per person per month. For the first time in my life, I learnt that we have so many fish and you can make soup using them.” — Participant of ‘Fish and not only’. 39 Diverse approaches to supporting Europe’s most deprived: FEAD case studies 2018