Tens of thousands of children are abandoned every year in Southeast Europe. Thousands still live in institutions of one kind or another, where they grow up unprepared for the time they have to leave. With no one and nowhere to turn to, many young state and foster care leavers fall into the clutches of criminals and human traffickers – condemned to lives of degradation and exploitation.
We aim to transform the lives of these vulnerable and marginalised young people by providing them with places in our specialised small group homes – which we call Houses of Opportunity. The House of Opportunity Programme empowers these young people to break out of poverty and lead successful independent lives – preventing them from being trafficked, or drawn into a life of crime and homelessness, at risk of abandoning their own children in the future.
At its simplest level, the Programme provides three things:
Somewhere safe to stay Good people to be with Something useful to do
The House of Opportunity is a residential training programme that equips vulnerable young people with the skills they need to live successful, independent lives through:
House parents provide each resident with individual care and support in a small, family style home.
Training in healthcare, cooking, budgeting and IT – enabling residents to learn essential life skills.
Education support. A complete education is vital for finding employment and building a secure future.
Providing training and employment experience through local employers or our Social Enterprises.
Krasi’s childhood was far from ideal – bereaved, abandoned into care and left to find his own way in life with no guidance, he probably would have ended up on the street, struggling to survive and at very high risk of being exploited and shut off from the possibility of a normal life. Here he tells the story of how the House of Opportunity Programme has totally changed his life.
For Krasi, life could have been very different. Most orphanage leavers have no money, little education, no family and no idea about life outside an institution. With few options, many fall into crime and prostitution or become victims of human traffickers.
We are grateful to receive support for the House of Opportunity Programme from:
Would your organisation support the House of Opportunity and help to prevent modern slavery?
Would you partner with us to help provide brighter futures for vulnerable young people?
