Befriending

Saheliya offers a Befriending service to provide 'social support' to isolated black and minority ethnic women in Edinburgh. This service is delivered by volunteers, who are trained and offered on-going support from a Saheliya Project Worker. Volunteers are themselves minority ethnic women, and therefore the service is offered in a variety of minority languages.

The role of Saheliya Befrienders is to provide one to one support to Black women who are socially isolated by offering home visits, hospital visits, encouraging women to participate in social activities (swimming, cinema, etc.), and occasionally accompanying them on official visits, to the doctor, DSS, school, etc. Befrienders are asked to give a commitment of between 2-3 hours per week, for at least one year.

A volunteer Befriender is 'matched' with a Befriendee who has similar interests. At the time that a woman requests a Befriender, she is asked for any particular qualities or experience she would like. This may include asking for a Befriender in a certain age range or from a particular community. We try to accommodate these wishes whenever possible.

Befriending relationships are monitored closely in the early stages, to ensure that both parties are happy with the match. All efforts are made to iron out any difficulties that may exist, though occasionally relationships are dissolved, and individuals are matched with someone new. Most relationships are successful from the beginning, and continue for more than a year.