Post on 26-Dec-2015
transcript
ALLIANCEALLIANCE FORFOR CHILDRENCHILDREN
ANDAND YOUTHYOUTH
BULGARIA
16+ YOUTH 16+ YOUTH DAY CARE DAY CARE CENTERCENTER
29-30 OCT 2004 NIKOLA NIKOLOV 2
B U D A P E S TB U D A P E S T
Transnational Good Practices and Experiences Exchange on Drug Dependencies within the Roma
Community
H U N G A R Y
29-30 OCT 2004 NIKOLA NIKOLOV 3
INTRODUCTION
Alliance for Children and Youth
(ACY) is an association between: Free and Democratic Bulgaria
Foundation (FDBF) Sofia Municipality (SM) Bulgarian Red Cross (BRC)
29-30 OCT 2004 NIKOLA NIKOLOV 4
ACY is aimed at improving the lives and defending
the rights of street children and homeless youth in Sofia and the rest of the Bulgaria.
29-30 OCT 2004 NIKOLA NIKOLOV 5
The ACY implements its programs in Sofia, Sofia,
BULGARIABULGARIA at the: at the:Faith, Hope and Love Center for Street Children
16+ Youth Day Care Center
29-30 OCT 2004 NIKOLA NIKOLOV 6
THE PROBLEM AND THE LEGACYTHE PROBLEM AND THE LEGACY Most of the street children and youth in
Bulgaria are of Roma origin numbering several hundred in the capital city of Sofia alone.
The exact number in the country is difficult to establish as their number constantly changes – evaluations vary between 2500 and 5000.
In the early 90’s, the responsibility of caring for Bulgaria’s street children and youth was taken over mainly by NGOs due to the respective responsible state institutions’ insufficient resources and readiness to deal with the problem.
29-30 OCT 2004 NIKOLA NIKOLOV 7
THE PROBLEM AND THE LEGACYTHE PROBLEM AND THE LEGACY
Every day, street childrenEvery day, street children
and youth face:and youth face:HomelessnessHunger and malnutritionIllness and disease, with lack of
medical careLack of adult support and advice
29-30 OCT 2004 NIKOLA NIKOLOV 8
THE PROBLEM AND THE LEGACY
Street children and youth are often subjected to:
Violence Exploitation Discrimination
29-30 OCT 2004 NIKOLA NIKOLOV 9
CENTERS AND PROGRAMS
Faith, Hope and Love Center
FHL Center was established in 1995 by the FDBF with the British charity ChildHope, UK as its partner.
FHLC is a night shelter and a day center for temporary placement of street children in Sofia aged between 3 and 16.
The capacity is 20 – 30 children per day.
29-30 OCT 2004 NIKOLA NIKOLOV 10
CENTERS AND PROGRAMSNational Information Center on the Problems of Street Children
( NICOPOST )
NICOPOST was established in 1997. This is a national data-bank that collects and disseminates info on runaway, abandoned and homeless children from all over the country.
A monthly newsletter, books and brochures dealing with the issue of the homeless are distributed or e-mailed to over 400 social workers, members of parliament and various governmental and non-governmental institutions.
The Center also conducts training seminars and organizes Round Tables on these problems.
29-30 OCT 2004 NIKOLA NIKOLOV 11
CENTERS AND PROGRAMS16+ Youth Day Care Center
The 16+ Center16+ Center was officially opened on 29 September 1999. Till the end of May 2002 it functioned together with the FHL Center within the framework of the St. Sofia Bridge Project and FDBF but now is a separate entity under the Alliance for Children and Youth.
The 16+16+ is an open center for street children and homeless youth aged 16 to 25 and offers social assistance, domestic and medical services and a range of programs for the positive development and youth’s social reintegration. 16+ can attend to some 30 youths per day.
29-30 OCT 2004 NIKOLA NIKOLOV 12
Medical and Medical and Social care for Social care for
homeless Roma homeless Roma YouthYouth
16+ YOUTH DAY CARE 16+ YOUTH DAY CARE CENTERCENTER
29-30 OCT 2004 NIKOLA NIKOLOV 13
PROJECT 16+16+The project aims to expand and enrich the
services and activities in 16+ by developing 10 programs in 4 modules:
JOBJOBHEALTHHEALTH
EDUCATIONEDUCATIONSOCIAL SKILSSOCIAL SKILS
29-30 OCT 2004 NIKOLA NIKOLOV 14
PROGRAMS 16+ Youth Day Care Center16+ Youth Day Care Center
Pledge for Personal Growth Outreach Advocacy Clinic Stories From The Street Market Basket Study School for Parents and
Single Mothers Tackling Tuberculosis Arts and Entertainment Club Staff Training Youth Committee
29-30 OCT 2004 NIKOLA NIKOLOV 15
Program One - Pledge of Personal Growth
This is a personal ‘contract’ or ‘pledge’ signed by all young people in the Center. The pledge could contain anything as it is intended to
be a social exercise to get the young people to start thinking responsibly and to take positive actions to help themselves. Pledges could be revisited on a quarterly basis and the parameters should
be flexible and set as per the needs of each young person.
PROGRAMS
Program Two – Outreach/Street Work
16+ is offering basic services and assistance to youths that don’t visit the Center or have been banned due to bad behavior or other
problems.Program Three – Advocacy ClinicThe team arrange law students to visit the Center on a regular basis and give assistance to youth with legal, social benefits and personal identification problems. Without identity and proper registration in
the community, these young people are entitled to nothing.
29-30 OCT 2004 NIKOLA NIKOLOV 16
PROGRAMSProgram Four – Stories From The Street
These stories would focus on the lives of the young people and their roles in the 16+. This is designed to showcase the human side and to
raise public awareness of the homeless problem.
Program Five – Market Basket Study
It is designed to teach youth some basic life skills such as financial and time management and the basic principles of a market based
economic system.
Program Six - School for Parents and Single Mothers
These youth have a demonstrated need for support during pregnancy and with newborn babies between 1-6 months. 16+ team provides training for young parents to-be regarding basic
care and proper treatment of babies, baby products, health, laws, registration and so on. The idea is to include both male and
female participants in the hope to encourage more cooperation between mother and father, safe sex, family planning and proper
child care.
29-30 OCT 2004 NIKOLA NIKOLOV 17
PROGRAMSPROGRAMSProgram Seven – Tackling TuberculosisProgram Seven – Tackling Tuberculosis
We test all the visitors and staff members for TB on a regular and on-going basis, professionally clean and disinfect the
entire 16+ Center and provide training to youths to help them identify the symptoms and what to do about getting treatment.
Young people who have been exposed to TB but do not have active cases is treated with medication and those with active
cases referred to the TB Hospital in Sofia.
Program Eight – Arts and Entertainment ClubThe painting of the walls proved to be very popular and allowed the youths an outlet for artistic freedom and a chance to ‘decompress’. The artistic freedom and development is very important to growth
of the young people and very positive to the healing process.
29-30 OCT 2004 NIKOLA NIKOLOV 18
PROGRAMSPROGRAMS
Program Nine - Staff Training
In order to provide the staff and young people with the most up to date training methods and newest
information, we conduct occasional seminars, hosted by local experts in the field of child and youth care and
protection. Program Ten – Youth Committee
We are working towards empowering young people to participate and take an active role in the running of the 16+ Center. They are
encouraged to take responsibility in the design, implementation and evaluation of the Center’s activities. The Youth Committee is used for peer training, maintenance of the Center, group leaders, and surveying to gauge the effectiveness of a particular program. It is
our hope that through the work of the Committee, our young people can gain vital life skills.
29-30 OCT 2004 NIKOLA NIKOLOV 19
ADVICES…ADVICES… and and MORE …MORE …
are are WELCOMEDWELCOMED!!
e-mail:e-mail: Tel./Fax
children_youth@abv.bg +359 2 936 0535 16plus@mail.netplus.bg +359 2 946 1156FHLcenter@mail.netplus.bg +359 2 936 0011
Questions?Questions?