Every Tuesday morning at Ru Pare in Amsterdam Nieuw-West, newcomer women meet for the Motherhood Across Cultures gathering. The activity offers a space to reflect on motherhood in a new country, share experiences, and gain practical tools for parenting and personal development.
The project, created by Road of Hope, includes ten free weekly sessions as part of its activities. Topics covered include stress in parenting and relaxation, parenting in two cultures, strengthening social support, and strategies to improve parenting practices. Childcare is provided during the sessions.
The initiative was developed in 2024 and it’s now in its second edition. It emerged from two studies conducted by Road of Hope, one in partnership with the Public Health Service of Amsterdam (GGD) and another with Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam. Both studies highlighted the need for spaces where newcomer mothers can discuss motherhood across cultures and receive support.
According to the project coordinator, Andreea Alexandru, “The goal of these gatherings is to reconnect the woman both as a mom and as a person. For our newcomer women, the mother role is usually very all-consuming. We want to help them acknowledge that while creating some space for their own individuality.”
The group currently includes three young mothers from Eritrea, two under 30 years old, who previously completed Road of Hope’s Personal Development Course, attend the sessions with their young children. Road of Hope provides childcare through partnerships with Ru Pare, Samen Wonen Samen Leven, and Stichting Nadia Sbai, which supply space and carers for the children.
“The participants found the topic of motherhood very important for them; they were happy to share their experiences,” said Eourdekian.
In a recent session focused on strengthening parental practices, participants discussed the role of quality time in children’s cognitive, emotional, and social development. They shared activities such as singing, reading, and talking with their children about daily experiences. The group also learned simple breathing exercises and agreed to practice these activities at least twice a week, not only for themselves, but also together with their children when they feel overstimulated.
Participant Threza, a mother of two daughters from Eritrea, said: “It was nice to learn that children learn the language better with songs. We practice these a lot at home. Songs from Eritrea, but also Dutch ones. I want my girls not to feel different from their peers. I practice with them at home what the teacher does in class.”
The gatherings will continue for two more weeks and will be followed by a new edition for Somali women, with our partners from SomAstel.