Integration: Yoga course for migrant women goes down well
To be continued in April // Bocholt job center and DRK migration counseling center cooperate on model project to promote work and health
Yoga is good for you and relaxes your body and mind. Eleven women with international family histories were able to experience this during a yoga course that lasted several weeks and was free of charge for them. From the cooperation between the Jobcenter Bocholt (health project) and the migration counseling of the German Red Cross (project "We live respect", funded by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees), the yoga studio Tripada Bocholt was commissioned to implement a ten-week yoga prevention course.
"It was a complete success," sums up Bruno Wansing, Integration Officer of the City of Bocholt.
During the first Corona Lockdown, Sara Jrab from the DRK's migration counseling service had organized a yoga class online for the women, and the interest was so great that the participants wanted to be present. In an intimate feel-good atmosphere, Christina Bußhoff introduced the women to the world of yoga. "Since the response was so positive, we will offer a next yoga course starting in April," announces Lisa Schoppers-Roes from the Job Center's health project.
Background: Nationwide model project
Since 2018, the Jobcenter in Bocholt has been taking part in the nationwide "Model Project for the Interlocking of Work and Health Promotion in the Community Living Environment." In cooperation with the North Rhine-Westphalian health insurance funds, represented by Team Gesundheit GmbH, health-promoting offers for people in challenging life situations are made possible through the job center together with local cooperation partners.
"The course is a very good offer for the women. It gave them the opportunity to take time for themselves and, through contact with the trainer, they had the chance to get to know a piece of German culture. This is a contribution to integration in everyday life," emphasizes Sara Jrab, project manager of "Wir leben Respekt".
"Everything quite open"
Syrian Lama Alsaeed, one of the course participants, was very satisfied with the yoga course. "What I like most is that the trainer was completely open with us. She didn't make an exception for us because of our migration background. She explained everything in German several times, which was very motivating for us."
Door opener for individual health promotion
"It is a benefit for the women that they gain their first experience in taking part in a health course through the offer. The participants take the time to do something good for their own health and learn about the beneficial effect of exercise and relaxation. The form we have chosen here can be a door opener for individual health promotion, especially for women with an international family history," emphasizes health scientist and coordinator of the health project, Lisa Schoppers-Roes.