Associazione Mimosa is a No-profit, non-party and non-confessional Organisation constituted in 1996 with the purpose of pursuing the general interest of the community for human promotion and the social integration of people living in uneasiness and social marginalization with special attention to people involved in prostitution, victims of trafficking in human beings for sexual or labour exploitation, minors and young adults in specific conditions of vulnerability. The Organization offers socio-health care support service and educational service by means of a shelter house (Housing Area) and other educational service aiming to the social and work integration or re-integration of minors and young adults; by means of a Mobile Outreach Unit to reach people forced in street prostitution in Vicenza, Padua and Treviso offering an harm reduction service, distribution contraception, Information and education on reproductive health care issues and sexually transmitted infections and thus through socio-health care service bringing the issue of child and adult sexual exploitationout into the open (Contact Area); by means of raising awareness by means of activities in raising awareness of human trafficking, sexual exploitation and gender violence with students in secondary schools in Veneto (Communication Area); a team for social mediation employed in the accomplishment of social inclusion projects in urban territories at risk.
Associazione Mimosa with its 50 volunteers – included European Volunteers – strictly cooperates with Equality Cooperativa Sociale Onlus which provides educators and qualified social workers for the fulfillment of the actions foreseen in the single Areas. The two organizations share both the legal head Office in via Canestrini, 91 in Padua and the general approach to the phenomena they aim to fight: supporting people, bringing out their own resources, becoming autonomous, confident and independent.
The shelter house actually can host 8 guests (they can be victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation, foreign non accompanied minors, Italian or foreign minors who are replaced from their parents’ house for protection), the Mobile Outreach Unit normally reaches about 800 people a year in the territories of Padua, Vicenza and Treviso and its staff accompanies about 200 people to hospitals and surgeries for tests and check-ups, and the trainers normally reach 300 students a year for raising awareness activities.
Associazione Mimosa is also the coordinator of a social urban project, engaging itself in the urban regeneration and social development of the railways station area in Padova caracterized by insecurity and extreme marginalization phenomena (non – places) by means of: 1) street furniture interventions aiming to the re-definition of places of socialization and integration for the population who transit and for those who live there; 2) the constitution of a stable network made of public and private organizations, with the direct involvement of people living in conditions of deprivation and social marginalization (homeless) for the fulfillment of cultural and animation activities having as a goal recovering the dimension of the local community; 3) planning cultural events such as concerts, street arts performances and street parties.
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