The development of the project A start for life arose like a necessity for the children who complete the program of the Day Centre and who, according to our assessments, continue to be needing guidance, counselling and support for different activities or problems specific to teenagers. The project A start for life began in December 2006 by providing social services to a group of 11 teenagers. The activities carried out within the project were:
- offering of information and knowledge for obtaining and applying some skills for an independent lifestyle
- professional orientation
- activities having an educational and cultural nature
- offering of psychological and spiritual support by organizing individual or group meetings with the foundation’s psychologist
The project’s results were:
- the participation in training sessions held by professional trainers on subjects connected to the development of skills for an independent lifestyle
- the participation in meetings held on subjects of professional orientation and the presentation of 14 professions
- the organization of activities having an educational, cultural or socialization-oriented nature
- the fulfillment of 130 meetings of the psychologist with the teenagers, amounting to over 100 hours of individual counselling
- the participation in a class of icon glass painting, coordinated by an artist
Since it resulted out of the discussions held with the teenagers that they would like to continue the project’s activities and, on the other hand, there are subjects or activities which haven’t been developed, the project’s continuation and the implementation of some activities which are predominantly of professional orientation, development of skills for an independent lifestyle, socialization and counselling was decided. The teenagers’ accountability and the implementation of practical activities that would help them integrate into society are being emphasized.
The project’s objectives:
1. The increase of the integration degree of the teenagers into society by acquiring knowledge and skills for an independent lifestyle, accountability and psychological and spiritual counselling.
2. The improvement of the teenagers’s capacity to be prepared for employment through professional orientation and counselling, information and training.
3. The increase of the teenagers’ acces to the community life and to culture
The project responds to the identified problems through:
- organizing informative meetings for the acquisition of knowledge and skills for an independent lifestyle
- organizing sessions of individual and group psychological counselling
- activities for the making teenagers accountable for the selection, organization and implementation of some group or individual activities
- the teenagers’ participation in different professional training classes, depending on the identified needs, and the organization of information sessions on subjects connected to the preparation for the finding of a working place
- the teenager’s participation in different socialization activities or cultural events (shows, theatre, movie, etc.)
- the promotion of volunteering through the participation in the activities of the protected workshop of St. Dimitrie Foundation
Financed by: Progetti In Onlus – Italy
