Presentation given by Brigita Jankauskaite, Vilnius Caritas (LT) at the 2013 FEANTSA conference, "Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation: policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness" http://feantsa.org/spip.php?article1596&lang=en

1. Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness
8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic
Craft training centre
of Vilnius Caritas
Promoting active inclusion for
young homeless people – sharing the practice
By Brigita Jankauskaitė

2. Plan of my presentation
 About organization – purpose, targert group
 Program, which promote active inclusion (the basics of our work with youth)
 Principles of center, which leads to empowerment of youngsters
Results or what is for us inclusion into society

3. Craft training center is a part of Vilnius Archdiocesan Caritas and has been working more then 10 years.
It works for youth from a high-risk social group and provides social, educational and psychological help and support.
The basic aim of Craft training center is to improve integration of young people into society by developing employment and social competencies.
Youngsters who come from street and have no place to live we provide with temporary place at Youth house, which we opened in 2006.
Each year we support around 15 young people, in 2012 we provided with help 17 youngsters.
Short view of centre

4. Specifics of target group (who are those homeless)
16 -25 years age young people from socially affected environment:
Street youth (young people who do not have a living place, ended the relationship with family, having many difficulties, possible addiction).
Anti-social, aggressive, possessing problems in the community behavior
Having a criminal record
After rehabilitation programs (drugs, alcohol and etc.), without the skills to live independently
Dropped out of the formal education system or having learning difficulties
Abandonment, neglect and violence of the family

5. Program of center, which promote active inclusion
Main tasks:
 Attract young people to come to center,
 Assure basic needs (living, food, hygiene, community)
 Clear the real situation of young people
 Participation in activities (crafts, social, psychological assistance, non formal education and etc.)

6. Craft training
Main purpose – to acquire working skills
To come to training at time
To do, what it is said to do
Not to leave without finnishing the job
Learn to work in team
Learn basic skills of craft – cook, carpener or laundress

7. Social and psychological assistance
Consultations of social worker and psychologist
Group consultation once a week (trainings in communication, conflict resolution skills, giving the space to learn new ways of behavior, adjusting the way of thinking and behavior)
“Hidden consultations”

8. Nonformal education
 Experiential outdoor training
 Summer job and recreation camp
 Sports (basketball)
 Table tennis
 Volunteering projects
 Participation in community fests
 Building and keeping relations trough tea and coffee
 Cooking with volunteers

9. Youth house – temporary home for youngsters
Possibility to leave the street life and develop social skills in the home environment.
Safe place to stay
Acquire social skills, learn how to manage their life, perform everyday tasks, plan finances and so on.

10. Principles which leads to empowerment of youngsters
1)Experience of different attitude towards them, more accepting relation comparing what they experience before (at home, in schools, orphans homes, street and etc. )
2)The conditions of life has changed, they get quality of life – basic needs (good, shower, you have your own space), community where they feel safe.
3)Acceptance by social and youth workers, volunteers, psychologist, craft teachers is very important for personal growth and for starting to believe that I can manage in life.
4)Building a trust relation with youth, when you can count on the worker, trust to talk about problems, difficulties and together to set adequate goals what are possible to achieve.

11. Principles which leads to empowerment of youngsters
5)Being in contact
6)Clear borders to know what behavior is accepted and what is not.
7)New, stable contacts, leaving old friends in the past.
8)Experience of success
9)Learning by working
10)Providing with help and support when the youngster leaves the center

12. Results or what is for us inclusion into society
 Change in behavior
 Becoming more mature
 Appearing dreams and plans for future
 Capability to archive goals
 Decreases destructive behavior
 Capability to build and maintain relations
 Back to school or work
 Capability to live on your own (have job, pay taxes and etc.)

13. Thank you for attention