Do you have older brother or sister which you looked up to while growing up? Children without parental care and children from families at risk in Bosnia and Herzegovina with this project will have healthy role model in their life - their Older brother and Older sister- young volunteers which help them improve their self-esteem and develop basic social skills like using public transportation, eating in a restaurant, how to behave in museum or how to be safe and how to communicate their needs.
Last year, only in Sarajevo there was 290 children without parent care, 1.330 children who's development was hindered by families' circumstances, 341 educationally disregarded child and 250 neglected children. These children live in bad socio-economics situations, most of them are being abused and exposed to violence. They are being neglected by close families but also society. They don't have any healthy role model in their life so they inherit destructive and auto-destructive behaviors.
Every child in need with this project will have their healthy role model - their Older Brother or Older sister. Volunteers are students and youngsters (20-30) which have time and will to make a change in someone's life. This mentoring program is based on individual activities weekly through a year with children and is focused on developing basic life competences and social skills of a child. Through group workshops children expand their social network and spend quality and healthy leisure time.
Through a caring and supportive relationship with volunteers, children will have the opportunity to recognize and develop their potential, learn practical life skills, expand their support network and better integrate into society to grow into healthy and responsible members of society. Children will grow into healthy adult which will know how to rise out of poverty, not to fall into temptation of destructive behaviors and will be active citizens of their society.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
