Moscow, Russian Federation – created in 2003
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SamusocialMoskva, a non-profit foundation registered under Russian law since 2003, works on these issues in order to fight social exclusion in Russia. For several years, SamusocialMoskva has been focusing on homeless adults and has developed a collaboration with the Moscow city administration for this purpose. In particular, SamusocialMoskva offers psychological and social support and guidance to people staying in Moscow’s municipal centers. Since the end of 2019, SamusocialMoskva has resumed mobile outreach, providing pre-medical and social services to homeless adults on the streets of Moscow. Since January 2020, street rounds have taken place four times a week, focusing on places where homeless people stay and socialize. SamusocialMoskva also works on dissemination of information, best practices, organization of professional exchanges and seminars based on the concept and methodology of Samusocial to fight social exclusion.
The year 2021 was marked by the development of interventions in new cities of the country. After exploratory missions, SamusocialMoskva signed partnership agreements with three Russian NGOs working with homeless people in the cities of Saint Petersburg, Perm and Khabarovsk. It has recruited and takes charge of the contracting of a doctor in each of the three cities, to allow these organizations to add this medical service to their street and center interventions in favor of homeless people in Saint Petersburg, Perm and Khabarovsk.
Also, the gradual resumption of public meetings and face-to-face teaching in Russia allowed SamusocialMoskva to again conduct interventions for students; three interventions were held at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, the State University for Friendship between Peoples and for the Faculty of Economics of the State University in St. Petersburg.
Activities:
Mobile Help Teams (EMA)
The team provides pre-medical advice and care, social support and facilitates access to medical and social facilities for homeless people. It provides free medicines, hygiene materials and other essential products, as well as information. SamusocialMoskva‘s doctors can also provide rapid HIV/TB/Hepatitis C testing, counseling and referrals on these diseases that are very common in Moscow. The outreach work covers places where homeless people meet and spend the night (food distribution points, train stations…) and adapts to the changing seasons.
Guidance and integration assistance
SamusocialMoskva provides services to homeless people at the E. P. Glinka Social Adaptation Center and at its branches in various Moscow districts. P. Glinka Social Adaptation Center and its branches in different districts of Moscow. Special attention is paid to the specific needs of women, disabled people and people in emergency situations. SamusocialMoskva assists beneficiaries in obtaining documents necessary for accessing health services, making medical appointments and planning medical care. SamusocialMoskva‘s psychologists regularly run group sessions at the Center’s branch for women to facilitate self-expression and social integration (cooking classes, literature club…).
Advocacy actions
SamusocialMoskva conducts courses, seminars and participates in various events to disseminate its knowledge and understanding of social exclusion and homelessness in Moscow. SamusocialMoskva may also conduct studies or publish books to develop a better understanding of issues related to social exclusion.
Key figures 2023:
2 914 Beneficiaries of the action
148 Day and night outreach
4 684 Medical care
52 Psychological interviews
Current Project:
SamusocialInternational and SamusocialMoskva are jointly carrying a project co-funded by the European Union to promote and protect rights of homeless people in Russia. This project, which began on 1 January 2020 for three years, will enable the implementation of two types of activities in particular :
– Activities directly targeting homeless people: providing medico-social support and prevention to the homeless on Moscow’s streets and in 3 other cities in regions of Russia, as well as providing specific help for homeless women sheltered in Moscow public centers;
– Activities targeting the knowledge and capacities of the actors (civil society organizations and public services) who have a role on homelessness issues: disseminating documentation, training professionals, collecting and disseminating data on the homeless met on the streets, organizing events to share experiences between professionals and to raise awareness among students.
This project is expected to achieve the following results:
– 3950 homeless people will have effective access to adequate medical and social services in Moscow and 3 other cities
– 125 professionals from medical and social services and 300 students will have a better knowledge and understanding on homelessness issues.
More informations:
Website (in french, also available russian) : http://www.samu.ru/fr/