By Amy Slater Ovadia | Director of Development
Seeds of Growth aims to provide women survivors of violence with tools, knowledge and support to become financially independent; our model is based on the understanding that financial independence is the key to stopping the cycle of violence.
Seeds of Growth aims to achieve change at both the individual and community level – changing perceptions regarding women survivors of violence and increasing community commitment to these women’s professional and economic advancement.
Individual
Personal Guidance and Support – weekly meetings take place between participants and coordinators who accompany them, providing important guidance and assistance with every dilemma, employment decision and emotional challenge; Employment Skills Workshop – focus on discovering one’s strengths and career preferences, preparing for job interviews, writing a CV, learning to organize a schedule and working on financial management; Mentoring\Coaching –women work with a volunteer mentor and many work with an employment coach on their professional development – Both services provide participants with a partner in the community – someone who believes in them, fights for them and helps them overcome personal and professional barriers;Professional Studies – some women took part in professional studies and skill development courses to increase professional knowledge and make it easier to find a fulfilling and well-paid job. Legal Counseling focused on exercising social and financial rights, solving issues of debts and economic set-backs that are a result of their abusers’ actions and that keep them from advancing financially and standing on their feet.
Community
An integral part of Seeds of Growth's is the connection to the community; volunteers work with the participants, businesses contribute trainings and offer employment opportunities; These collaborations include special awareness raising activities for employees and training to become volunteers and work with project’s participants and also job opportunities for participants including in-house training.
Awareness raising and policy change – many financial barriers women after violence deal with are a result of systematic injustices, regulations that prevent women from reaching a sustainable income or that make it harder for them to deal with debts the abuser left in their name; we work to first raise awareness and support among general public and policy setters and secondly to change
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