Dsicovering new life
Sevilla, Spain
Institutions involved
NGOs, Public Bodies
Initiative Typology
Legal assistance (translation services in interaction with authorities) , Health services access and use, Intercultural integration (neighborhood associations, religious bodies…) , Psychological support, Language or/and culture courses
Problem addressed
Integration problems include language difficulties and difficulties in finding work. As they do not yet have a red card, they do not have a work permit
Resilience strategies addressed by women
She says that everything she has experienced both in her country of origin and along the way has made her acquire survival skills to be able to manage in a self-sufficient way. He relies on the team at the resource where he is and on the friends and acquaintances he has met in Spain.
Description of the integration initiative implemented
The most important aspects to take into account for their integration are:
- To continue with their training in Spanish.
- Facilitating access to professional training.
- Informal support network established with neighbours and acquaintances once settled at home.
- Support network established with the members of the association where he/she is.
- Attending associations that allow them to identify themselves as part of the group.
Personal story
Single and childless. She never knew her father, Moustapha Fofama, who died in 2002 during the rebellion that ravaged Côte d'Ivoire. She lives with her mother (Salimata Sylla, 01/01/1982) until she is 11 years old, at which age her mother marries a man from Burkina Faso, with whom Mariam has never had a good relationship. According to Mariam, from the beginning of the marriage, her mother decides to abandon her and leave her with a man who takes her in with other children (she still keeps in contact with him and with girls who used to live with her). She speaks of the man who took her in with affection and admiration, although she admits that she has always been a heavy drinker. Three years ago her mother's husband got in touch with her, as her mother became ill with stomach cancer. Until her mother passes away (January 2018) Mariam takes care of her.
Mariam Foufama has no siblings. With the death of her mother, her younger aunt suggests marriage, which she refuses. In Côte d'Ivoire, Mariam Foufama was a high school student.
Mariam decides to embark on her journey to Morocco, taking the savings of her mother, who had already encouraged her to make the journey before she died, given the lack of family networks and the scarce material opportunities available to them.
Mariam Foufama left her country on 15 March 2018, alone in a collective car, with 300 euros corresponding to her mother's savings.
Analysis of the initiative and individual story
The main initiatives for their integration have been
Legal environment:
- Gender-based international protection claim process.
Resources and support:
- Associations have been and are key in their integration process. All the support and reception organisations belong to the Ödos Network (Fundación Emet Arco Iris in phase I, Cáritas Sevilla, from the Nazaret project in Phase II, legal advice for their asylum case by Fundación Profesor Uría).
- The network of support established through the contacts created during her stay in the associations has allowed her to meet many people and access trainings.
Networks and participation:
- Formal and informal networks facilitated by the first reception resource.
- Maintaining social relations with women and men of her age.
Cultural identity:
- Adaptation to new cultural practices given in Spain.
Resilience strategies:
- Ability to leave suffering behind and focus on the present moment as well as training for a better future.
Results and Impact
During the interview, she acknowledges that after her arrival in Spain her life has changed in every way. Here she feels cared for and looked after. This gives her a great sense of security and hope for a better future, focusing at the present moment on her education and language learning.
