Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe:

key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness

8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic

Craft training centre

of Vilnius Caritas

Promoting active inclusion for

young homeless people – sharing the practice

By Brigita Jankauskaitė

Plan of my presentation

About organization – purpose, targert group

Program, which promote active inclusion (the basics of

our work with youth)

Principles of center, which leads to empowerment of

youngsters

Results or what is for us inclusion into society

Craft training center is a part of Vilnius Archdiocesan Caritas and

has been working more then 10 years.

It works for youth from a high-risk social group and provides

social, educational and psychological help and support.

The basic aim of Craft training center is to improve integration of

young people into society by developing employment and social

competencies.

Youngsters who come from street and have no place to live we

provide with temporary place at Youth house, which we opened in

2006.

Each year we support around 15 young people, in 2012 we

provided with help 17 youngsters.

Short view of centre

Specifics of target group (who are those homeless)

16 -25 years age young people from socially affected environment:

Street youth (young people who do not have a living place, ended the

relationship with family, having many difficulties, possible addiction).

Anti-social, aggressive, possessing problems in the community

behavior

Having a criminal record

After rehabilitation programs (drugs, alcohol and etc.), without the

skills to live independently

Dropped out of the formal education system or having learning

difficulties

Abandonment, neglect and violence of the family

Program of center, which promote active inclusion

Main tasks:

Attract young people to come to center,

Assure basic needs (living, food, hygiene, community)

Clear the real situation of young people

Participation in activities (crafts, social, psychological assistance, non

formal education and etc.)

Craft training

Main purpose – to acquire

working skills

To come to training at time

To do, what it is said to do

Not to leave without

finnishing the job

Learn to work in team

Learn basic skills of craft –

cook, carpener or laundress

Social and psychological assistance

Consultations of social worker

and psychologist

Group consultation once a week

(trainings in communication, conflict

resolution skills, giving the space to

learn new ways of behavior,

adjusting the way of thinking and

behavior)

“Hidden consultations”

Nonformal education

Experiential outdoor training

Summer job and recreation camp

Sports (basketball)

Table tennis

Volunteering projects

Participation in community fests

Building and keeping relations

trough tea and coffee

Cooking with volunteers

Youth house – temporary home for

youngsters

Possibility to leave the street life and develop social skills in

the home environment.

Safe place to stay

Acquire social skills, learn how to manage their life, perform

everyday tasks, plan finances and so on.

Principles which leads to empowerment of youngsters

1) Experience of different attitude towards them, more accepting relation comparing what they experience before (at home, in schools, orphans homes, street and etc. )

2) The conditions of life has changed, they get quality of life – basic needs (good, shower, you have your own space), community where they feel safe.

3) Acceptance by social and youth workers, volunteers, psychologist, craft teachers is very important for personal growth and for starting to believe that I can manage in life.

4) Building a trust relation with youth, when you can count on the worker, trust to talk about problems, difficulties and together to set adequate goals what are possible to achieve.

Principles which leads to empowerment of youngsters

5) Being in contact

6) Clear borders to know what behavior is accepted and what is not.

7) New, stable contacts, leaving old friends in the past.

8) Experience of success

9) Learning by working

10) Providing with help and support when the youngster leaves the center

Results or what is for us inclusion into society

Change in behavior

Becoming more mature

Appearing dreams and plans for future

Capability to archive goals

Decreases destructive behavior

Capability to build and maintain relations

Back to school or work

Capability to live on your own (have job, pay taxes and etc.)

Thank you for attention