The Persefone project helps migrant women who are victims of trafficking and violence. Now, the central Italian region of Tuscany has approved funding for the project for another three years.
Tuscany's regional government approved the second phase of the Persefone project
on Monday, July 20. The project
helps vulnerable migrant women who are victims of violence, trafficking and torture.
Persefone will receive €81,000 in funding over the next three years.
The initiative was first launched in 2019 as an experimental project run by local ASL health authorities, regional healthcare facilities and NGOs.
Tuscan Health Councilor Stefania Saccardi
said that in its first 15 months of activity, the project had become a precious reference point for organizations that work with migrants and refugees. This, she said, led to the ''decision to give continuity to the services offered by Persefone."
Goal: Help 50 migrant women per year
A total of 36 women were aided during the first phase
of the project through services such as consultations,
psychological therapy, and medical aid. Over the next the three years, the
project aims to help 50 women
per year, organizers said.
During the first phase of the project, the association Progetto Arcobaleno organized training courses for healthcare operators and members of the associations involved in the initiative.
The project "was not only an opportunity for training, professional education and an improvement of know-how, but also provided an occasion to create a network within which the project was started and developed over the following months," said Saccardi.