21.07.2017
Slnečnice supports the BUDDY program
The mission of Slnečnice is to build a great place for living and create a home for the people. Hundreds of satisfied families have found their home at Slnečnice. However, not everyone is lucky and knows the feeling of safety and love of their family. We decided to help.
Children from children’s homes often lack role models and when they become adults and leave the children’s home, they are not prepared to lead a full life. BUDDY program led by a citizens' association PRO VIDA tries to solve this problem. We decided to become a partner of the program and help them.
How does it work? BUDDY program does not focus on one-off assistance to children's homes. It is a long-term program that connects volunteers with children from children’s homes. BUDDY is a volunteer that helps a child from a children’s home to create a quality and real relationship with everything that goes with them - spending time together, trusting, understanding and knowing that they can learn from each other. A volunteer helps a child to know the world outside of the children’s home, preparing him/her to be successful later in life.
BUDDY program is designed for children older than 12 years. BUDDY is not a foster parent, it is a friend who is at least 10 years older - similar to a god-parent, uncle, aunt or older sibling. A citizens' association PRO VIDA finds such BUDDY volunteers, makes the selection and trains them. When a volunteer is thoroughly prepared, they introduce them to a child from a children’s home and allow both of them to combine the two worlds that had been bypassed. A BUDDY volunteer and a child from a children’s home meet regularly, talk to each other, share their problems and happy moments and help each other. A BUDDY volunteer attends training sessions and consults with psychologists about their experiences in order to better understand and help their entrusted child so that their friendship lasts not just for a month but ideally a lifetime.
Thanks to their big buddies, the children from the children’s home are much better prepared for life outside the children’s home when they become adults. We are happy that we can also help them.
If you want to participate in the BUDDY program as a volunteer or to support it otherwise, all the information is provided at the website of the BUDDY program.