Juvenile colony: Hope for Change

The purpose of the project is to create the appropriate conditions for training children in Pryluky Juvenile colony. It requires not much: new windows, tables and chairs at which teens might normally study in order to have the process of rehabilitation and training more successful and their stay in the place of detention at least a little more pleasant in order to have at least something to inspire children to become better ones and never repeat their mistakes.

Can a child, who ended up behind bars, understand the depth of his unlawful act? Does he understand that through confinement he is incited to rehabilitate himself? Have those, who have brought up this child so, to bear the responsibility? Has the society shut its eyes to the child’s problem? Today when the juvenile justice system in our country is only taking its first steps and the child protection system does not operate at full capacity, thousands of juveniles find themselves behind bars. And when a child has been deprived of freedom, he can only do his best to make this piece of childhood not pass away. It remains to develop not only by increasing his knowledge but also growing as a person.

Psychologists of the juvenile colony, public organizations, their social workers and volunteers engage children to work on self-improvement, teach them the rules of self-protection from danger, explain the importance of the healthy lifestyle and safe behaviour, learn how to set goals and achieve them.

All the knowledge and skills are acquired and practiced best during group training when boys are able to be on par with each other and a coach, in such a way they will reveal themselves more quickly and therefore they will learn better. According to the norm even the walls of the room where there is a group work, should facilitate to improve the psychological state of children. When there is torn wallpaper hanging around, when there is a mould above you, when you breathe close air, when you sit on a chair that is twice older than you and have to write on your knees... who in such circumstances want to learn new things and become better?

Psychologists of Pryluky Juvenile colony and social workers of All-Ukrainian public center “Volunteer” have set the task of creating the right conditions for children training and it needs not much: new windows, tables and chairs at which teens might normally study.