heks

HEKS supports the integration of socially disadvantaged people into society and assists refugees and migrants to seize their rights and obligations.
The Regional Advice Office Zurich/Schaffhausen aims towards a society that accommodates diversity and fosters social cohesion.

Our German conversation groups empower migrants to overcome their language and cultural barriers. This helps them to have contacts with neighbours and authorities. Particularly elderly migrants are often exposed to isolation. We reach them through key persons with the same cultural background and help them to gather the required information and to establish and maintain relationships.
Another target group are women who are forced to work in the sex business. We contact them at their work places and empower them step-by-step, through counselling sessions and German courses they can venture towards a new existence, a self-determined one. Asylum seekers often do not have the slightest notion as to what awaits them in Switzerland. Whether at the airport or in the regional advice office in Zurich, we accompany these people with legal advice. This goes way beyond their procedure decision as we also try to open new perspectives for them. And last, but not least we facilitate many work assignments outside of the job market for unemployed Swiss and foreigners. Thanks to these activities the participants once again experience a structure in their weekly routine and thus gain a new significance for their everyday life.

The Regional Office Zurich/Schaffhausen works closely with the protestant church, the Swiss refugee council and is in regular contact with regional authorities, important cantonal and Swiss federal departments as well as private institutions. In addition to the mentioned projects that are related to practice and everyday life we get involved in public events and information meetings in order to support the disadvantaged. In all areas of activities many volunteers help carry out our work for the disadvantaged in society.

The qualified input of our employees orientates itself on the needs of the target groups. For more than twenty years our projects have now played an active role in the integration work of the canton of Zurich. Our projects have undergone constant adjustments and are therefore tried and tested. Nevertheless our work has not become routine and has not lost any of its urgent necessity.