Anna's Enter! project had preparation period from April to August 2013 and we started to work with youngsters from September with aim “Preparing of youngster-orphans and youngsters without parental care from foster families and small children’s homes for the independent living”. There were a lot of activities: trainings, seminars, individual and group activities, consultations, supervisions. The priority in support for youth remain the welfare and development of each young person, so on the basis of diagnosis, watching of pedagogues, individual development plans for 10 youth were prepared. About the results we can say in July-August 2014 after the self-assessment with active participation of youngsters.

One Enter! project story

Iryna was born in 1997 in Vileika, Minsk region. When the girl was 5 years old, her mother left Iryna and stopped to be interested in the girl’s destiny. So, Iryna appeared in a social shelter, where from she was admitted to a foster family in the middle of 2003.

From her childhood Iryna had bright expressive appearance and equally extraordinary character, characterized temper, directness and non-predictable response to words and events. She was always intemperate, impulsive, her mood changed frequently. Her reaction on critique was sharp and aggressive. Every year the problem with the manifestation of emotions increased. Iryna had difficulties at school, being more interested in humanities subjects, the girl barely managed to get positive votes in mathematics, physics, and chemistry.

Partly, the aggressive behavior was caused by Iryna’s tragedy of her life - her biological mother’s betrayal. In interviews the girl often shared experiences and misunderstanding why her mother had left her and nobody from her close relatives had protected her from entering the shelter. Iryna could not understand and forgive the person who gave her life. And she did not want be found by her relatives.

In September 2013, received basic education and entered Minsk State Vocational and Technical College of Light Industry and Consumer Services, specialty "Hairdresser, manicurist, makeup artist", the girl became a member of the Enter! project and up to the present moment Iryna is supported by our pedagogues in SOS-Youth Facility. Being in a new situation far away from foster family, Iryna from the first days met difficulties: she skipped classes, had difficulties in learning, the college pedagogues constantly complained on the girl’s behavior. All these took place despite the fact that she loved the chosen specialty "Hairdresser, manicurist, makeup artist" very much.

SOS-YF pedagogues done much to bring Iryna back to the normal life of a 16-year-old teenager. Primarily there were built trust relationship to make the girl take help. Emphasis was placed on the elaboration of injury - the betrayal of the biological mother and her relatives. Thanks to long negotiations and meetings there was obtained Iryna’s agreement to find her relatives. So she met her uncle and his family. She managed to build a good relationship with them. Iryna understood she was not alone, she was remembered, loved, and support. Supported by her uncle, in the presence of YF pedagogues, Iryna for the first time after long years met her biological mother. They took quite a difficult conversation, there were many tears, asking for forgiveness, promises. The girl tried to understand her mother, but was never able to forgive her, although she is not so categorical in her statements in the biological mother’s address.

After meetings with relatives, and also thanks to the constant support of pedagogues Iryna changed a lot in self- and her life acceptance: she gained confidence, felt being accepted by peers, found her place in the team, became more cheerful, kinder, can speak about her past without hesitating it, expressing gratitude to SOS-pedagogues.

Now Iryna does all possible to finish the college well, as well as to get additional knowledge and skills. "I want to learn in my profession more than I receive at classes. This year I’ll pass additional courses of manicurist, makeup artist". Iryna gets experience during the practice in hairdressing salons, doing hairstyles and manicure for her friends. The main thing is that she does it with a great interest and desire. In the nearest future, the girl sets a goal to accumulate more experience, and does not exclude the possibility to open her own business in her native town Vileika, returning to her house, where she lived for the first five years of her life.