Mothers in Rotterdam South feel that their neighborhood is unsafe for their children, and this leaves them feeling despondent. That is why, from September 2023 to April 2024, we investigated whether a community-based approach could help change this.
Penny Nugteren, Caroline van Jaarsveld, Jiddo Alberts, Maarten de Witt
Mothers in Rotterdam South feel that their neighborhood is unsafe for their children, and this leaves them feeling despondent. That is why, from September 2023 to April 2024, we investigated whether a community-based approach could help change this.
We learned a great deal through conversations, walks around the neighborhood, cups of coffee, and community meals. We spoke with more than 100 people who live and work in the neighborhood. All this information together painted a picture of safety and insecurity in Carnisse. We heard about incidents on the street, financial problems, and unsafe housing, differences in views on parenting, drug-related issues, and a lack of supervision.
Insecurity revolves around 8 main themes:
Residents feel unsafe because of:
People from the neighborhood formed five thematic groups to work together on finding solutions to the issues causing insecurity. Sometimes these were entirely new ideas; other times, they were new connections between existing positive activities and locations in Carnisse. They did this by drawing on information from more than 100 neighborhood discussions.
Residents and people who work in Carnisse have already put a number of ideas into action. For example, they’ve had discussions about greeting one another in a neighborhood with so many cultures, created a guide listing all the chill spots in the area, and organized a neighborhood iftar. These are truly ideas from the neighborhood. Every participant contributes useful information or a good idea. This way, the plans keep getting stronger and really fit Carnisse! It may seem simple, but it’s actually quite special that residents and professionals are collaborating as equals.
There are still many ideas on the shelf, ready to be further developed and implemented.
Also see: Straatliefde.
