Steinkjer Public Library offer help with homework to women with a refugee status.
During the school year 2010/2011, Steinkjer Public Library offer homework help to women with a refugee status. The project is financed by the Red Cross and ABM-utvikling. The latter being a former governmental consultative body working in the field of Libraries, Archives and Museums. The project is initiated by the regional Red Cross Refugee Guide-coordinator, Steinkjer Adult Education and Steinkjer Public Library.
The main purpose of the project is to strengthen integration of the women in the local community as well as giving them valuable experience in practicing Norwegian. The women participate in a group which meet in the library 1 ½ hours a week.
In the first group, which started in August 2010, all the women had children attending primary or secondary school.
The project idea is that the themes being discussed in the group might help the women in their daily activities e.g. connected to their children’s or their own school activities; or when encountering enquiries from public offices; in their leisure activities; or when having special experiences with Norwegian culture as opposed to their own culture.
There is a group of 7 volunteers in addition to Anne Hulbækdal from Steinkjer Public Library, who offer this help. Several of the volunteers are retired teachers.
The participants in the group which started in August 2010 and two of their homework helpers. The women come from Palestine, Oromia in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and Afghanistan.
The women will make their final exam in June 2012,
corresponding to 10 years compulsory primary and
secondary school.
