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Description
The aim of the project is to strengthen a vulnerable group of Roma and non-Roma children and youth, children with disabilities or those who, after traumatic experiences, cannot integrate into the society and need external help in the form of mentoring meetings. The project actively involves also senior volunteers in the implementation of some activities. By these voluntary activities project eliminates threats of social exclusion and isolation, helps develop intergenerational cooperation and understanding. Project consists of two levels. The first involves the maintenance of existing volunteering programs, which are still in demand at the Volunteer Centre. The second level is the ambition to pass on our know-how to organizations in the less developed regions of the Banska Bystrica region, that could benefit from these volunteering programs. Existing volunteering programs include tutoring program, where one volunteer meets one child on regular basis to help the child prepare for school. Its contribution is mainly in strengthening the child''s capacities, creating habits in the field of regular preparation for school, improving children''s learning outcomes and eliminating early school leaving. Other programs include assistance program that focuses on children with special needs, or mentoring program, that pairs one child and one volunteer to spend their free time together, talk and bond. This helps problematic children to have a positive role model in their life and prevents their social exclusion. Project aims to help overall 31 individuals from vulnerable groups.
Summary of project results
Volunteer programs have been developed to address the emerging needs of these children. In the case of tutoring programs, it is mainly an opportunity to break out of the vicious cycle of poverty, to gain positive role models and a vision for life, to gain respectful relationships, routines, and attention from another person. The objective of the project "Hand in hand, step by step" was to empower vulnerable groups of Roma and non-Roma children and youth, children with disabilities, or those who are not able to integrate into the community after traumatic experiences and need external help through mentoring sessions. Senior volunteers were also actively involved in the activities of the project. A major challenge of the project was to share the know-how from several years of the implementation of long-term volunteer programmes in the Volunteer Centre to other organisations or institutions. This meant finding organisations that are enthusiastic about the idea of volunteering and have experience in working with children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, disabled children, or seniors. During the course of the project, 4 volunteering programmes were conducted in Banská Bystrica and two of those were extended to other towns or villages. During the course of the project, the coordinators developed the so-called Minimum Standards of Work in a Volunteer Program, and based on these, a Manual for volunteers new to the programs was developed. The manuals are a part of the training of new volunteers and contain all important information and contact details. A total of 161 people were involved in the project activities. The main added value of the project is that long-term volunteer programs, including the intergenerational one (with the involvement of seniors), bring about a change in attitudes, break down stereotypical perceptions, improve the life quality of seniors - especially in terms of psychological well-being, and also effectively "fight" against social isolation thanks to their long-term implementation.