growing organic zucchinis, orchids and … skilled workers: le jardin collectif, a community-based...
TRANSCRIPT
Growing organic zucchinis, orchids and … skilled workers:
LE JARDIN COLLECTIF, a community-based
training and integration project
Practices of social economy
• Collective projects with community expertise
• Integration of different logics
• Consider the person as a whole (not a problem)
Disadvantaged community
• 31 % under poverty line
• 22% single mother families
• 22 % income support recipients
• 17% less than 9th grade
Le jardin collectif: 1997
COMMUNITY ORGANIC GARDENING PROJECT:
• Less dependency on food banks
• Better eating habits
• Social interaction for excluded
Le jardin collectif: 2000-
• M-FOR program (Emploi-Québec)
• 7 month intensive training
• Men and women from 18 to 50 yrs.
Le jardin collectif training
• 50 % classroom/50% hands-on
• Adapted to market needs
• Certified by School Board
• 15K$ per participant
Le jardin collectif training
• In tune with initial objectives
• Full-time social psychologist
• 1000 kg. organic vegetables distributed
Future orientations
• Recreational area with market activities
• Combination of different logics: public sector support, market activities and volunteer participation
Le jardin: Main characteristics
• Community expertise: including local development and partnerships
• « Person as a whole »: an empowerment process
• Staff working conditions
• Recognized quality of training
Third sector W2W projects
ADVANTAGES:• Solidarity values• Capacity to integrate
different logics
Third sector W2W projects
WEAKNESSES:
• Financial capacity• Human ressource
stability• Lack of recognition
Implications for policy
• Recognition of practices
• Appropriate and stable financing
• Decentralized decision-making and joint-planning
• Future-oriented projects with quality training