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poland: club for children of disadvantaged families |
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04-05-04 |
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I have worked in this preventive club since 1999. This Club is a part of The Social Help Center which is an institution led by the Local Government in Pobiedziska. Starting my collaboration with the local government as the only rscj and only nun, I was employed as an educator, and I undertook, from the very beginning, the task of organizing the Club for children and young people from poor and dysfunctional families.
This Club has now been open for four years. Children and young people from 7 to 18 years of age participate in the activities offered. The present 34 participants are from 17 families. Most of them are boys. (There are only 8 girls.) They have many emotional difficulties and have problems adapting socially. These young people have little or no motivation to learn and do not work at school. This results in most of them having to repeat years at school. Some must repeat the same year twice or even three times.
The club provides care, help with homework, an afternoon meal, educational activities, and group and individual therapy. Our social-therapy program, Open Heart”, was implemented with the aim preventing further dysfunctional behaviour through promoting the integral growth of our children (emotionally, personally, socially) and providing an education to values.
During these past four years I managed to create the group of volunteers consisting of university students and students from our Sacred Heart Secondary School.
The Staff (3 educators and one psychologist) work with great commitment. Collaboration was easier because we have worked out an Individualized Educational Plan for each child.
Other activities in the Club, besides helping with the homework and other educational activities are art therapy and educational multimedia.
As an educator I am in touch, on a daily basis, with the schools attended by our children. We collaborate with the teachers and school educators of our children. I help them in their discernment about the choice of the next school (in the next level of the Polish Educational System). I am also in touch with the probation officers of those who already have had problems with the law. There are regular visits to the families. I try, as far as it is possible, to find financial support for the Club and for the children as well.
During the holidays the activities in the club take on a different character. We want our children to rest after the work of the school year. Every year we organize some trips, with the staff and volunteers, and take time off for games and artwork. Last summer, two Young Professed rscj, Hanna Geisler and Teresa Kurdziel, and I prepared the holiday program for our children. Each one of us led different activities. We wanted to provide an opportunity to learn how to rest and play in a group through art, music and other activities.
Thanks to the financial support of some sponsors we could organize a few interesting trips. We visited also the oldest living place in Poland, Biskupin. The children learned something about their Slavonic heritage/ roots and about life in 9th century.
These holidays were very rich for me, especially because of the support of my sisters. Collaboration was very good between us. Every evening we evaluated the day. We felt the union between us and the common concern for the integral growth of our children.
Urszula Glowacka, rscj
Province of Poland |
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Dernière mise à jour : ( 24-10-05 )
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