Marwa is a 40-year-old woman from Asyût, in southern Egypt, and she has a family of two children, aged 8 and 6 years old. She arrived in Italy in 2013 and has been living in the San Siro district of Milan ever since.
It is here that, in 2021, she learns about the Women4Integration project, aimed at fostering the social and economic integration of migrant women living in the neighbourhood.
Right from the start, she took part in the socialising activities organised every Wednesday by the Work Is Progress staff together with Il Telaio delle Arti: group moments in which women can meet and exchange ideas, but also make cultural tours and visits to the city’s services together. At the same time, Marwa embarked on a job orientation course that saw her first participate in a professional training course for canteen attendants and then in the Work Is Progress job orientation meetings.
Until now, she had never tried to look for a job in Italy: family had always come first. But now that her children are older, Marwa has started to reflect on her life and her expectations for the future. Thanks to the training, she was able to further improve her knowledge of the Italian language and develop skills and abilities. Together, we reviewed her CV and identified various school catering companies in Milan, in order to proceed with a series of targeted applications.
After a few weeks, the results arrived! In September 2022, Marwa found a job as a canteen attendant in the schools of Milan.
She is doing well because she manages to reconcile her time at work and family needs. She has always enjoyed being with children, and with this occupation she can use her skills and also fulfil herself professionally.
