Moscow: teenagers left without parental care are becoming social volunteers
Teenagers left without parental care are becoming social volunteers
In 2023, teenagers from Moscow centres for the promotion of family education will try to work as social volunteers.
25.01.23
Nine types of volunteer groups have been prepared for the teenagers. Here they will be able to help people with disabilities, children, the elderly, homeless, and other vulnerable people. Future volunteers are being trained, and in February they will begin to help permanently.
The social volunteering project for teenagers was developed by the Danilovtsy movement. The project won the Moscow’s a Good City grant competition.
Participants of the project are teenagers aged 15 to 17 from seven Moscow centres for the promotion of family education. A team has been assembled from each institution, which is headed by a team leader, an employee of the centre who coordinates the teenagers. Teams will be welcomed into the Danilovtsy volunteer teams to join in with their work. Now the movement has more than 30 such collectives. They are employed in orphanages, mental health centres, nursing homes, and other institutions.
“We would like to show different types of volunteering and assistance, to introduce them to different people. We decided that these small groups of teenagers and their team leaders will visit volunteer groups every two months”, explains Yuri Belanovsky, head of the Danilovtsy movement.
This will not be a one-time event, but regular volunteering. At the same time, the project remains voluntary, and a teenager does not have to participate if they feel they are not ready.
