Maltesers put a lot of effort to maintain its Child Day Care centers which is very important for children that comes from social risk families. Here they feel safely, improving their social skills, they became more independent, do their homework and most importantly they are not raised in the streets. Those centers are like second home for them.
About Children Day Care Centers. Relief Organisation of the Order of Malta in Lithuania (MOPT) began to establish social Children’s day care centres in Lithuania in 2006. Usually children from poor families visit them. Mostly maltesers obtain information about such children from neighborhoods, social workers, police, juvenile inspectors, and parish people.
Living conditions in these families are severe. Parents have no job or receive very low income. Some parents have no time for their children because of working in low-paid work from early morning until late evening. Some children come from dysfunctional families. Pupils come to Children”s day care centres after school.
They have free meals at the centre; are taught simple and very necessary things (communication, common skills, Christian values, get acquainted with the culture – theaters, museums). We take care on the health of those children, help finding a doctor, medicine when it is needed. Juvenile inspection is our partner, so we can help when facing legal issues. We also supervise in order to ensure children’s rights not to be violated.
Each summer we organise camps for the children in Lithuania and abroad. Social educators consult and support not only children but their families as well. We provide clothing and food for those families. Currently, the Relief Organisation of the Order of Malta has Children’s Day care centres in Vilnius, Kaunas, Marijampole, Šiauliai, Žasliai, N. Akmenė, Kartena and Kriaunos. MOPT Children’s day centre work closely with local communities and schools. We look after and take care on 200 children.
About the project. It’s not a secret that children comes to Children Day Care centers expecting hot meal. When hunger is gone they start to do other things. For most of them this is the only way to get hot meal. We give one euro per day for one child. Before leaving they’re also drinking tea, eating sandwiches and fruits. Drunk parents, empty fridge and cold home – this is what those children find when they get back. They happily come to the Children Day Care centers and often asks to stay a little bit longer.
Donated funds will be used to buy food for children in Day Care centers.