Equal Opportunities for Older Women
About the initiative Content and framework conditions Organisational background Back
DRK - BACIM - Beratungsstelle (German Red Cross Counselling Centre for Turkish Women)
Communicational details
Address:
Oldenburger Straße 22
10551 Berlin
Germany
Contact persons and their known foreign languages:
Angela Poetter, Social Education Worker with Responsibility for Older Immigrants, Turkish, English, French
Mechthild Gottbrath, Social Education Worker, English
Telephone: 0049-30-3953037
Telefax: 0049-303953055
E-Mail:
Internet:
About the initiative
Status of the initiative: The initiative is an initiative aimed at improving equal opportunities for older women through an organisation that pursues objectives which are independent of gender or age.
The initiative has the dicisive support of the following organisation:
Deutsches Rotes Kreuz - Landesverband Berlin
Address:
Referat Jugend und Familie
Bundesallee 13/14
12161 Berlin
Deutschland
Telephone:
Telefax:
E-Mail:
Internet:
Back to the top
Content and framework conditions of the project work
The initiative was founded in: 1983
The initiative was founded because of the following reasons:

The Berlin Regional Association of the German Red Cross requested that the Berlin Senate sponsor the "Counselling for Women from Turkey" project, out of which BACIM was created.
Target group(s): Women from Turkey, especially older immigrants
Targets: BACIM aims to create a substitute for the loss of the emotionally stabilising community of women in the women's own home countries.
Details of the work done by the initiative:

BACIM is a counselling centre and contact point for women from Turkey.
Since 1994 we have been carrying out a project sponsored by the European Commission entitled "Perspectives on Growing Old for Immigrants and German Women", whose goal is to deal with, and offer solutions for, the special problems faced by the many older women of the "first generation of women immigrants".
Many older women immigrants live alone, in poor-quality housing; they are unemployed and have low financial resources. Their residency status is sometimes unclear and their social welfare support thus precarious. In addition, many of them feel torn between the desire to return to Turkey, from which they have become estranged, and remaining in Germany. The specific history and situation of older immigrants often leads to psychosomatic illnesses, for the treatment of which no suitable institutions have hitherto been created.
Within the framework of the EU project, BACIM has created a counselling program specially directed at older immigrants. Its main goal is to prevent older foreign women from being excluded from social life, by conducting targeted publicity campaigns, by networking, passing on information, and providing advice and counsel.
By employing strategies suitable for the target group of older immigrants, we aim to strengthen their self-confidence and help them develop a positive attitude to life. Initiative and independence are encouraged, resulting in a positive effect on their emotional stability. Bodily awareness and mobility, created through physical exercise tailored to the age of the target group and through relaxation exercises, have a positive effect on the women's physical fitness and create a sense of well-being. Group discussions on topics of concern to these older women, such as growing old, illness and health, and immigrant experiences, strengthen their self-confidence. In addition, we celebrate religious festivals together, go on trips and visit cultural events together, and meet with German women in their age group.
Areas of work of the initiative:
Social contacts
Health
Migration
Sexuality
Living circumstances
Unemployment among women
Success that the initiative has achieved:

BACIM is visited by some 60 women every day. Successes of the "Perspectives on Growing Old for Immigrants and German Women" project include the election of a Turkish woman to the post of Women Senior Citizens Representative in Berlin, and the first Turkish woman's moving into a home for the elderly.
Problems that the initiative has been faced during its work:

At the present time our sponsor is threatening to close the BACIM counselling and contact centre, creating financial problems which threaten the very existence of our work.
Participation of the target group concerning the conception, planning and implementation of the initiative's work:
Co-operation:

For many years we have been working together with the city representatives for women's issues, with other counselling centres, with a range of committees, and with the district administration.
Information:

We are available for people interested in receiving more information on our initiative by phone.
Back to the top
Organisational background of the initiative
Staff:

2 salaried employees at the supporting organisation.
1 salaried employees at the initiative.
Budget:
Sources of funding:
Local government funds (in F department)
Project funds
Publications or information material available on our initiative:

The brochure "BACIM - Beratungs- und Kontaktstelle für Frauen aus der Türkei" (BACIM - Counselling and Contact Centre for Women from Turkey).
Recommended literature:
Tips and suggestions for people interested in foundig a similar initiative:
Back to the top

 

2001-04-25