WHO ARE UNACCOMPANIED MINORS?
An unaccompanied minor (abbreviated as UAM) is a person under the age of 18 who is in the EU unaccompanied by an adult who would be responsible for him/her. In recent years, around 30 to 60 unaccompanied minors come to the Czech Republic every year. Due to the numerous risks faced by adolescents along the way, these are mostly boys, girls come only exceptionally. For the same reasons, most children are older than 15 years and after coming to the Czech Republic, they are all placed in institutional care.
HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED?
MENTORING
Do you want to have fun and help at the same time? Are you 18 – 30 years old? Become a mentor – a guide and friend for minor foreigners at the very beginning of their stay in the Czech Republic. With a young foreigner, you will form a mentor-mentee pair, you will meet together approximately once a week (individually or in a group) and spend time together in a fun way. What you fill your time with is up to you, you can do various activities, such as playing sports together, studying, going to the cinema… You will become a guide and friend who will introduce the newcomer to the new environment, help him learn Czech better, show him the city , will bring Czech culture closer and make it easier for him to start a new chapter in life here. At the same time, you will become part of the OPU volunteer team, which will bring you a number of new friends, knowledge and experience.
Contact person:Anežka Zezuláková – anezka.zezulakova@opu.cz
HOST CARE
Host care involves long-term and recurring contacts of a child living in an institution with family, couples or individuals. The purpose is to help the child with integration into Czech society, to provide an opportunity to experience the functioning of an ordinary family and relationships in it, to develop an emotional relationship. Within the established relationship, the child’s sense of acceptance, support and awareness that he belongs somewhere and is accepted deepens. Among other things, enrichment with knowledge of another culture, customs, thinking can be beneficial for the family. At present, this is the only way in which foreign children can spend their time with their families in the Czech Republic and become, at least for a while, part of it. We will guide you through the whole process and train you professionally.
More information can be found here
Contact person: stepanka.stehlikova@opu.cz
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Contribute any financial amount that will be used to cover the costs according to the current and individual needs of the minors.
Simply donate here and choose the method of bank transfer, where you state “Podpora NBD” in the note.
Contact person:opu@opu.cz
INTERNSHIP / BRIGADE / JOB OFFER
Do you have a shop, car service, IT company, restaurant or other business? We welcome an offer of an internship or paid part-time job for UAM students in high school or a job opportunity for recent graduates! Any form of opportunity is welcome, especially in the fields of chef-waiter and auxiliary cooking work, sales assistant, car mechanic and other trades, as well as IT and technical fields.
Contact person: opu@opu.cz
PATRONAGE
Do you want to be a support to a minor foreigner, but you do not have enough time for host care or are other circumstances preventing you from doing so? Become a patron – a person who will provide continuous material or financial support to a particular young foreigner during his newly beginning life stage in the Czech Republic. For example, you will pay him for a training course, a driving school or otherwise support him in his interests, open new horizons and you will be on his journey to adulthood in a new country.
Contact person: opu@opu.cz
MATERIAL SUPPORT
Among young foreigners, there are also a number of sports enthusiasts who will be happy for equipment for football, cricket, swimming, fitness, or vouchers for various sports activities, season tickets or vouchers for the purchase of equipment and clothing. You can also donate hygiene items, clothes, school equipment.
Contact person: opu@opu.cz
AID IS NOT IMPOSED
Have you thought of another form of support? Do not hesitate to contact us!
THANK YOU!
