• Project: Training of multidisciplinary teams in Jõhvi (OAK project)
• Project “Big Brother, Big Sister”
• Project “For Better Future”
• Foreign project “Child Abuse and Treatment” (Belarus)

Project “Big Brother, Big Sister”

Background: program “Big Brother, Big Sister” was started in USA. In Estonia this program was initiated in 1997 in the rooms of Tartu Child Support Center. In 1998 Estonian based program and in 1999 Russian based program were started in Tallinn. The similar program was started in Pärnu in 2001. In 2002 NGO Big Bother Big Sister Estonian Association was started, uniting all BBBS centers, and belonging to the international movement Big Brothers, Big Sisters International. Since 2003 BBBS program operates also in Rakvere, Viljandi, Kuressaare and Narva.

Objective: to establish friendship between two individuals – a child and a grown-up volunteer.

Sub-goals:
To promote higher self-esteem of young brothers and sisters and help to establish a positive worldview, that would help them to overcome the difficulties they might face in life.
To spread and value the principle of voluntariness in Estonia.

Young sisters-brothers
This movement is for a child

• Who needs a good and trustworthy friend
• Who suffers from school difficulties or behavioural problems
• Who feels oneself lonely, neglected or repelled
• Whose family has encountered crises as a result of divorce, disease or some other problems

Big brothers-sisters
A support person might be anybody who is at least 18 years old, and is willing to take care and provide help as well as act as a friend for one small friend for at least one year of time. Currently the majority of support persons are the university students.

While deciding to join this program the would-be support person has to participate in a special training and later monthly in supervision sessions

A written contract will be concluded between the child, the support person and the parent or caregiver of the child, that might be renewed after the first year.

The matched pair will meet weekly for 2-3 hours to spend time together. These pairs of friends have enjoyed roller-skating, been in café, visited different exhibitions, went in for swimming, and taken part in various events, like Christmas Show, excursions, adventurous camps, etc.

Currently there are 25 active pairs.

This project is financed by the Tartu local government and Ministry of Social Affairs


Project “For Better Future”

Background: Relying both on our own experiences and on international studies one could say that it is more reasonable and cheaper to put energy into prevention than to deal with the outcomes. Abuse prevention should be started before the birth of the child, to teach parenting skills.

Objective: prevention of abuse by raising parenting skills.
Target group:

• Expecting mothers
• Medical practitioners
• Mothers and babies
• Sexually abused teenagers

Activities:
Lectures for specialists and for pregnant.
Group work, individual counselling and treatment for target group.

Project is financed by Women’s World Day of Prayer German Committee, and East- and Central-European Foundations Alliance of Holland, World Childhood Foundation.

Foreign project “Child Abuse and Treatment” (Belarus);

Training program for the child specialists of St. Petersburg and Pskov
Background: Training projects in Russia have become feasible due to The East Europe Committee of the Swedish Health Care Community

Objective:
to increase the knowledge and skills of specialists in recognising an abused child, in helping the abused children and their family members, and in abuse prevention.

Target group:
The social workers, legal practitioners, medical practitioners and university students of St.Petersburg and Pskov.
Activities:
3-cyclic (each for 3 days) training seminars for the target group.

This project is financed by the East Europe Committee of the Swedish Healthcare Community.