Abstract

This paper comes from the research entitled: “Networking and socio-educational intervention to promote resilience in children and youth at risk” [funded by Junta de Andalucia (Andalucia, Spain) y whose id code is: P12-SEJ-1366], which is carried out in Asperones, a neighbourhood of Malaga (Spain). This neighbourhood is populated by slightly more than a thousand people, vast majority of them Roma, who are excluded and marginalised. Poverty, unemployment, drugs, prison, etc. are a constant in their living conditions. The focus of the research is on the socio-educational job carried out by the different bodies working there.

In this paper we are going to pay attention to the networking developed among those bodies to fight against the exclusion, stigma, lack of opportunities, etc. that this population is suffering. The network is articulated through the “Community Team”, which is a coordinating structure to enable different activities for the community. The partners of the network are: the neighbourhood infant and primary school, social services (town hall), local office of infrastructure (regional government) and different agents which develop diverse socio-educational jobs.

Methodologically the research was designed in a mixed mode, using quantitative and qualitative instruments to collect data. On the quantitative side a statistic survey and two different questionnaries have gone through a wide and representative sample of population. And the qualitative side has been divided in two parts: 1^st one) Analysing the biography of three persons who live in the community, whose vital trajectories are interesting for the research. And 2^nd one) A case study about the social and educational jobs carried out by the network operating in the community. As it has been said, in this paper we are going to focus on the last one.

The Community Team contributions are interesting. Since started to work, from 2007, several things commence to move and several positive outcomes indicated a breakup with the predominant stagnation. Although very slowly, the coordinated initiatives are having an effect.

An example of that is the evolution around the “Basic Studies Diploma”. Before the Community Team was set school failure (for the compulsory stages) was very close to 100%. In other words, for many years nobody obtained that diploma. However, from different initiatives coordinated by the mention Team the percentage is decreasing.

The “Wall of the Stars” has been an enormous support in that sense. It is a symbolic and public acknowledgement to who obtain that “Basic studies diploma” (it is a front of the neighbourhood primary school where the persons who got that diploma have a star with their names). That initiative is contributing to modify the Roma social imaginary about the school and education in general. And it is passing on among the population. The number of adolescents and adults who want to obtain the diploma now is growing significantly.

One of this research aims is offering guides, training, resources, etc. to improve the networking and the flow between the entities participating in a common project. We want to provide knowledge to enable synergies to encourage resilience and a social and educational promotion to infants and adolescents at risk.

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