Association for support and protection of children and families at risk For Happy Childhood


 
MWL

Association for support and protection of children and families in risk "For Happy Childhood"

 

"For Happy Childhood" is a non-governmental organization located in Skopje; Its goal is to offer support to individuals (children, youth and women) and groups (families) under different risk, especially risk from violence (sex, trafficking) through counseling and therapy and informing the public. Conducting researches and organizing training's for volunteers and professionals that works with risk groups.

 

The Association for Support and protection of Children and Families at Risk "For Happy Childhood" began its work on 17.02.2000. It counts 80 active members (14 professionals and 66 volunteers-psychologist, social workers, pedagogues, doctors, lawyers and students). The members of the Association, especially the professionals, have participated as: educators, researchers, trainers, counselors, therapists, supervisors and project coordinators. During its 5 years of existence the Association had successfully realized 24 projects supported by International organizations (OXFAM; PHARE; UNHCR/ARC; UNICEF; SOROS), Foreign Embassies (The American Embassy in Skopje; and The Embassy of the United Kingdom in Skopje) and Ministries (Ministry for Internal Affairs, Ministry of labor and social policy, Ministry for Justice etc.), and the projects had been highly graded by the donors.

 

Main aims and objectives of the Association are:

a. giving support to children through focused group therapy;

b. support to women through self-help groups;

c.  building children's and youngsters' self-confidence;

d. drug prevention among teens;

e. education and informing the public about the problems people deal with;

f. forming centers for intervention, treatment and counseling;

g. services for helping children and families in order to improve their social functioning.

 

The main activities of the Organization focus on:

a. Preparing and making programs and projects for prevention, consultation and rehabilitation of the people in risk;

b. Providing the NGO members with trainings in the areas of: children and families in risk, women victims of violence experiencing stress and trauma, refugees and internally displaced people

c. Training of volunteers and professionals from other NGOs to enhance their skills in work with traumatized people, victims of different kinds of violence, particularly trafficked children and women;

d. Preparing and presenting information and materials of the most common problems of the target groups;

e. Conduct research to asses the situation on the social and health problems of the people in risk;

f. Giving support and help to the families for:

      • - resolving the family problems;
      • - building responsible parenthood;
      • - outdoing the psychosocial problems.

g. Providing psychosocial support and counseling services to children and adolescents and risk:

      • - children without parents;
      • - children without parental protection and care;
      • - children with problems of addiction (alcohol, drug,cigarettes,...);
      • - street children/children on the street;children with PTSD symptoms.

h. Giving support and counseling services to abused women;

      • - Preventing women trafficking;
      • - Preventing drug abuse among the school children and adolescents;
      • - Professional support and help to the families and children in stress and trauma caused by the conflict in the northwest part of Macedonia;

i. Organizing educational seminars for teachers and school's psychosocial services for stress and trauma dealing.

 

The organization has implemented the following projects:

- Development on Human Trafficking Database", financed by the American Embassy, Skopje, 2004-2005;

- "Daily Center for Children without Parental Care"-located in Aracinovo, Skopje; financed by the Ministry for Finances, department for development of municipalities; January-June, 2005;

- "Stop and Think"- Reducing the Risk of Trafficking among Children and Young Women in 8 Regions  of the country financed by UNICEF, September, 2004-February, 2005;

- "House on a half-way", Financed by the British Embassy in Skopje; December, 2004-February, 2005;

- "Center for education of multi-institutional teams for combating trafficking of human being and counseling of victims of trafficking", financed by Institute for Sustainable Communities, to start from September 2003 until September 2004;

- "Home builders", financed by PHARE Social Program, February 2003-February 2004

- "Psychosocial intervention, treatment and rehabilitation of women victims of trafficking housed in the Shelter center"-finance by International Organization for migration. 2002-2003

- Primary prevention of drug abuse among youngsters

- Student Assistance Program,  financed by US Embassy, October 2002-October 2003

- "Socio-therapeutic club for youngsters with behavioral disorders"-financed by British Embassy; 2002

- "Socio-therapeutic club for youngsters with behavioral disorders", April-November 2001, financed by Institute for Sustainable Communities;

- "Psychosocial intervention and support of the individuals, children and families who have a status of IDP's as a consequences of the disturbed security situation at the areas of Skopje, Tetovo and Kumanovo", August-September 2001, financed by UNICEF;

- "Psychosocial prevention, intervention and treatment of the consequences caused by disturbed security situation in Tetovo area", September-December 2001, financed by ARC;

- "Preparation of teams for psychosocial intervention and treatment of traumatized people from crisis regions in Republic of Macedonia", October-December 2001, supported by Faculty of Philosophy, financed by UNHCR/ARC;

- Cross-examination of needs and living conditions of the IDPs (over a 1000 examples), for Oxfam;

- "Psychosocial intervention and treatment of the people with a status of IDPs", December 2001, financed by Oxfam;

- "Socio-therapeutic club for youngsters with behavioral disorders" follow up-financed by the Institute for Sustainable Communities, 2001;

- "Stop the violence - for a life with no violence", April-December 2000, financed by Oxfam;

- "Psychosocial assistance and intervention of Roma refugees situated in the refugee camps", June December 2000, financed by King Bouduin;

- "Psychosocial intervention and treatment of the Roma families from Kosovo situated in host families", July - August 2000-January 2001, financed by Open Society Institute.

 

The association is a member of the International network for drug prevention in the project titled as "Balkan Bridge for Drug Prevention"started in Bulgaria, developing in Romania, Albania, FYROM, with extended activities in Serbia & Montenegro, Croatia, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our Association organized the third Balkan Conference, dedicated to training of personnel from NGOs, NGOs and schools, for implementation of Student Assistant Program for drug prevention. Members of the Mountain States Group from Boise, Idaho lead and train this network. Our organization is founder of the national network for combating against trafficking with human beings-project: Development of Human Trafficking Database. Last but not the least, we are members of the joint regional network for combat against human trafficking-Ariadne Network.

 

Association for support and protection of children and families in risk  "FOR HAPPY CHILDHOOD"add. Petar Georgiev, 76, 1000 Skopje; bul. Partizanski Odredi br. 99, 1000 Skopjetel/fax: 02/2636 727,   e-mail: verica@freemail.org.mk; za.srekno.detstvo@gmail.com

Contact person: Verica Stamenkova TrajkovaTel: +389 2 2622 491; tel/fax: +389 2 3060 500Mobile: +389 70 227