Organization
Tvoj BuddySocial Project
SlovakiaStarted
03/2021Status
Completedproject summary
“It is a human right for a child to grow up “in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding.”
(UNHCR, 1989)
What is Tvoj Buddy about?
Current situation
It is a human right for a child to grow up “in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding” (UNHCR, 1989). Yet almost 5,000 children in Slovakia do not grow up in their families but in centres for children and families (formerly "children's homes"). Institutional care cannot give them what they need the most: a close relationship with an adult who spends time with them and is not paid to do so. After they leave the centres they often live on the edge of society.
Solution
Program BUDDY supports children and young people who cannot grow up in their own families and complements the foster care system. Program BUDDY finds, selects and connects volunteers with children from children’s centres, and then provides them with continuous expert support. The volunteer provides the most valuable resource, their time. When children spend free time with their volunteer, they can build a relationship based on trust. This relationship is healing and provides the basis for meeting the individual needs of the child and supporting them while they are finding their place in society.
'Your Buddy' programme finds, trains and supports volunteers providing individual long-term support for vulnerable children not growing up in their own families.
How do we support Your Buddy?
The VGP Foundation supports a project led by Tvoj Buddy in Slovakia which will help include more children not growing in their own families in the programme and find new volunteers who will accompany these children on their way of integration into society. The volunteers will be evaluated and trained under the professional supervision of psychologists and then matched each with one child in order to become their 'buddies'.
The project foresees including 35 new children before March 2022, matching them with their 'buddies' and organising events for them such as Buddy Day or Buddy Christmas party.
The VGP Foundation also decided to finance related research that will reflect the long-term impact of the programme on the children by regular interviewing.
Related News
January 12 2022
For a vulnerable child, a BUDDY can make a difference
Most of us have a family. Some of us have stronger family ties, but many of us have a challenging family life. In either case, there was probably somebody who helped us through our transition to adulthood. But there are some children who have either grievously dysfunctional families or no families at all. So who is going to help those young people find their way as newly emerging adults?
