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Street Children- Outreach Network, Serbia
The H. Stepic CEE Charity initiated a project in Novi Sad, Serbia, in cooperation with the "Ecumenical Humanitarian Organisation" (EHO), a local NGO that helps socially disadvantaged people by preparing them for a life of economic independence. EHO, which also cooperates with Caritas, has built an advisory centre to help street children. Novi Sad is home to about 10 per cent of approximately 500 street children living in Serbia, according to UNICEF estimates. Many of these children are orphans, others have suffered from violence within their families, dismal children’s institutions or from the fact that their families are in financial difficulties. As a result of all these negative experiences these children’s only choice is to live on the street. Living in so-called "Hot Spots" (city centre parking lots, railway stations and city parks), the street children try to survive by begging, stealing, washing cars, dealing drugs or by prostituting themselves. The H. Stepic CEE Charity's project helps to find ways of contacting institutions in which these children can receive adequate help. To that end, the project mobilizes qualified people who have been carefully selected and trained by our project partners. This pool of "Outreach Workers" consists not only of accomplished psychologists, but also of students with a medical, psychological or legal background. The students work on a voluntary basis in three hot spots, are perfectly suited to understanding and responding to the street children, as they are not much older than them. Our ambition is to improve the quality of life of the neglected street children in Novi Sad through education, outreach counselling and emergency aid. Furthermore, we want to include these children in the health and welfare systems as quickly as possible.
A drop-in centre has already been established and distributes clothing and meals to street children. The "Street Children Outreach Network" is designed to develop on a sustainable basis. | |
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