Low-threshold clubs bring closer the manifestations of poverty in Prague
Poverty and the difficult situation are not only a problem at the edges of the republic, but also affect Prague and other large cities. Therefore, as part of this year’s Week of Low-threshold Clubs organized by the Czech Streetwork Association, low-threshold clubs in Prague are jointly focusing on the topic of manifestations of poverty in the big city. It will be approached through guided walks in poor localities, workshops for children and adults, and public debate.
The week of low-threshold clubs will take place throughout the country from September 19 to 23. For the first time, part of Prague’s low-threshold clubs prepared a series of programs covered by one common theme.
“Within the Week of Low Threshold Clubs, we want to present the work of social services and the support they provide to young people in such challenging situations, which accompany us practically the whole of this year. In addition, the Prague programs want to remind that poverty and lack are often less visible in the big city, yet they are present here too and will not disappear if we close our eyes beforehand and explain with them,” Martina Zikmundová, director of the Czech Streetwork Association (ČAS).
The program of the Prague part of the Week of Low Threshold Clubs will start on Monday, September 19 public discussion on “Manifestations of poverty in big cities”. It is produced from 5 p.m. in the Hall of Architects at the Old Town Hall. Among the panels will be Martin Šimáček, director of the Center for Social Services in Prague, sociologist Lucie Trlifajová, Jan Klusáček from the initiative for housing and Martina Zikmundová. They will talk about the effects of the worsening economic situation and repeated pandemics on the poorest residents, and what topics the new leadership of Prague should focus on in this area.
In the following days, it will be created in several places in Prague guided walks through places where poverty is concentrated in Prague, led by social workers from individual low-threshold clubs. These will be held, for example, in Běchovice (Wednesday 21.9.), in Stodůlky (Wednesday 21.9.) and in Vršovice (Thursday 22.9.).
On Tuesday, September 20, the low-threshold club Pacific is hosting from 3 to 6 p.m workshops for parents and children entitled “How to live in difficult times”. “Those who come will be able to test at the individual stations how difficult it is to apply for a housing allowance, whether they would be able to survive on the minimum wage in Prague, and where they can turn for help when they find themselves in an unfavorable social situation.” explains Tereza Kvapil Baudišová from the Butterfly Community Center, which is run by the Pacific Club.
Among other programs, you will also find a celebration of the seventh birthday of the Low Threshold Club Beztíže², which is based in Folimance, or a debate with a social worker and a psychologist about coming of age in the absence of a proper R-Mosty club in Prague 3.
You can find an overview of the programs organized as part of the Week of Low Threshold Clubs 2022 on the website www.streetwork.cz.