In Italy, the Lazio Region is at the forefront of welcoming those fleeing conflict in Ukraine. Earlier in the year it allocated €10 million of ESF funding thanks to the flexibility allowed under the Cohesion’s Action for Refugees in Europe (CARE) and launched a call for project proposals to promote the integration of people who arrived from the war zone and registered in the region.

This provides them with temporary protection and the rights to social services and access to the local labour market. 34 projects have now been selected for support through this funding  to assist Ukrainians with immediate needs upon arrival, as well as provide them with access to cultural mediators, language courses and active inclusion activities that will be essential for their integration into Italian society.   

The projects will be adapted to the individual needs of the refugees and provide basic support services, such as psychological support for young people, specific tutoring and guidance for women, language mediation services and support and guidance to help people finding housing solutions. Activities will also combat social exclusion and help Ukrainians to enter the labour market – with skills development and recognition, as well as linguistic, cultural support and language courses.   

Nicola Zingaretti, the President of the Lazio Region highlighted the importance of these activities for individuals and families to rebuild their lives, stating ‘Through these projects we work on several fronts to restore dignity and hope to those who have had to leave everything and give them the opportunity to create new life opportunities.’ 

The Accolgo project is one of the 34 projects selected for funding through the Lazio CARE package. It stems from the need for a concrete response to the urgent medical needs of children aged 8-14 that are oncological patients and to their families  arriving from Ukraine. The project offers an extensive support package to the children and their families, including housing, psychological support, cultural mediation and musical educational workshops for children. Perhaps most importantly, Accolgo is able to improve its services via direct feedback of best practices from beneficiaries – identifying both new needs and ways to expand existing support mechanisms.   

To ensure activities help as many people as possible, projects like Accolgo will be integrated across a regional network – with the aim of ensuring the best outcome for Ukrainians who seek to rebuild their life in Lazio.