Zemgale Planning Region’s Project “CeMeWe” Achieves Success in Supporting Ukrainian Women

The article is written by CeMeWE project manager Ieva Zeiferte from Zemgale Planning Region. Photo author: Ieva Zeiferte.

The collaboration between the Zemgale Planning Region (ZPR) and the Ukrainian Cultural Center “Dzherelo” within the international project “CeMeWe” has yielded its first successes. Since March of this year, when a comprehensive support program for Ukrainian civilians was launched, 15 participants have started working in Zemgale, demonstrating that a community-based approach is an effective way to promote employment.
In line with the “CeMeWe” project’s goal — to seek and develop support methods that facilitate the employment of immigrant women — the success of the program implemented in Zemgale is based on the ability to engage with each woman personally, helping them overcome not only practical but also deep emotional obstacles. It offers a safe environment where, with the support of professional specialists (mentors and psychologists), self-confidence is strengthened and insecurity is reduced, while practical sessions help participants acquire the necessary knowledge and skills for successful integration into the Latvian labor market.
The project’s contribution includes not only providing resources but also introducing new, internationally approved methods. This creates a unique and adaptable support model for each situation, fostering sustainable results. As Diāna Kačāne, representative of the “Dzherelo” association and program implementer, points out: “Thanks to the project, we learned new methods, such as ‘SMILE’ and employer interview simulations. By combining them with our existing knowledge, we can find a personal and suitable path to employment for each woman. The two-day intensive training method has proven particularly effective, allowing women to break free from daily routines and fully concentrate on their personal growth.”

Diverse Outcomes and Ongoing Support: The “CeMeWe” Project’s Impact
The program’s results are diverse: some women have found jobs in various sectors, such as catering, agriculture, healthcare, and educational institutions. Others, especially those with prior experience or a desire to work independently, have taken an even more enterprising step, becoming self-employed. An inspiring example is a program participant who now leads culinary masterclasses. Such courageous choices are also fostered by the support provided within the program, encouraging women to seek the most suitable work rhythm and employment type for themselves.

Strategic Collaboration with Employers
Significant is also the purposeful collaboration established with region’s employers who are open and ready to provide support. A particularly successful partnership has developed with responsive companies like “Maxima” and the bakery “Lāči”, which not only offer job opportunities but also provide essential additional support, such as insurance, paid lunches, and even accommodation. This is crucially important for women starting work in a new environment.

Beyond Project Boundaries: “Dzherelo’s” Comprehensive Support
The ability of the “Dzherelo” association to provide support that extends beyond the formal boundaries of the project is particularly noteworthy. By actively engaging with the state’s available support systems, the association, in addition to project activities, helps participants apply for integration courses and learn the Latvian language, recognizing that this is one of the main obstacles to employment. Practical assistance is also provided in solving complex logistical challenges – for example, helping families relocate to another city if work is offered there. Such a comprehensive and humane approach is one of the keys to the partnership’s success.

A Valued Outcome: The Participant Support Community
Perhaps one of the most valuable, yet harder to quantify, results is the strong and active participant support community that has formed during the project. This informal “women’s club” continues communication and mutual assistance even after the training concludes, providing participants with a much-needed sense of community and helping them address both daily and emotional issues.
Ieva Zeiferte, Project Manager for “CeMeWe” at the Zemgale Planning Region, states: “These results prove that we have chosen the right strategy – to support a local community organization with project resources, as they best understand the needs of the target group. The project has been a catalyst, allowing us to combine financial resources, international methods, and local expertise to create real change and make a lasting contribution to people’s lives.”

Ongoing Activities and Broader Impact
What has been achieved so far is only a part of what’s planned, and project activities in Zemgale continue. In collaboration with the “Dzherelo” association, a total of up to 70 Ukrainian civilians are planned to receive support. In August, work is expected to begin with a new support group in the Bauska municipality, while continuing the activities already initiated elsewhere in the region. These activities are part of a broader international goal, within which a total of 515 immigrant women in the Central Baltic region will receive support to increase their competitiveness in the labor market.

About the Project
The project “CeMeWe” or “Central Baltic Mentor Support for Immigrant Women to Promote Employment” is being implemented under the Interreg Central Baltic Programme 2021-2027. The total project funding is €1,100,848.45, of which the program’s co-financing is €880,678.74.
More about the project: https://www.zemgale.lv/lv/projekts/central-baltijas-mentora-atbalsts-imigrantem-sievietem-nodarbinatibas-veicinasanai-cemewe

This publication has been prepared with the financial support of the European Union. The Zemgale Planning Region is solely responsible for its content, and it may not reflect the official position of the European Union.