Navrat: Lets find every child in Slovakia a family

We are here to help children and young adults to come to grips with the past and find their identity.

Several testimonies can help you understand what our mission consists in:

"I listen to a 12-year-old Annie as she is talking about her biological mom. She has been living for eight years in a foster family, had previously been in an orphanage and a hospital. The only time she lived with her mum was when she was in her belly, and she has never known her dad. I look at her brown hair, listens at her trembling voice answering the questions, and see that it is difficult for her to see as far as the horizon. At school she attracts attention "by producing conflicts", and at home triggers theft and lies. We meet two months later and it is clear to me that with the thoughts she has in mind it is difficult to stand firmly on her feet. When life stories become too hurtful, one possibility to help is a therapy called life story therapy. In this case, it will help Annie express what she feels and understand that it is not her fault if she feels like this. She needs answers and understanding. It is a brave thing to look for and I know that the foster parents did not fail when seeking professional help. Such support is what they need today to be together tomorrow. 

Danka, social counselor in Banska Bystrica.

 Children and young adults at risk of ending up in a foster family often face difficult history marked by loss, trauma and hardship. It is no surprise that these hardships begin to be observed in their behavior. Thus getting to various risk situations is very common for those children, becoming daily challenges for parents, teachers and other professionals.

These children need support from their surroundings, community and professionals to help them to cope with the past, find themselves and their identity. They need us to discover their value, develop their potential and thus fully integrate into society.

Last year, thanks to the support of individual donors we managed to accompany 11 young adults or adolescents in a variety of specific situations and we provided therapeutic support to 10 young children using sand play therapy. We have realized activities and support groups for more than 40 children.

The stories of these children are not over yet, we can still change them for the better together.