THE "SHAPE" PROJECT HAS STARTED

On November 14, 2024, the Kick-off Meeting of the SHAPE project was conducted in Belgrade, Serbia, bringing together project partners from the Red Cross Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia and the Serbian Research Institute SeConS, as well as the Austrian Red Cross, who is coordinating the project.  

The Kick-off Meeting was also attended by Manuel Aigner, Social Attaché of the Federal Ministry for Social Affairs, Health, Care, and Consumer Protection of the Republic of Austria. 

SHAPE project activities:

In Albania and Serbia, access to care and support services for older people and their caring relatives will be strengthened through trainings for home helpers and provision of visiting services for older people as well as counselling and telephone support for informal carers. 

In North Macedonia, opportunities and participation for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness will be improved. A holistic contact point for homeless persons will be established in Skopje and soft skills training and material support for basic housing renovations will be conducted. Further, 40 children affected by poverty will have the opportunity to engage in learning and care opportunities.  

Psychosocial support, healthy ageing and awareness of violence against women will be addressed in all three countries through health promotion and PSS workshops, individual health counseling as well as by offering information events on gender-based violence and reproductive health. Another important aspect is a survey on mental health and PSS needs of homeless people for better service provision. 

Upcoming regional and exchange activities include a study visit from staff of the homeless shelter Skopje and representatives from the Ministry in North Macedonia to Austria in order to get to know various services for homeless persons in Vienna. Further, project partners will engage in a regional on-line workshop on accessible communication that will be conducted by Caritas Serbia.  

The SHAPE project is supported by the Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection. It has started on 1st October 2024 and will run until 30th September 2026.