Charity and Support Fund "Jaunimo sodyba"

The charity and support fund

JAUNIMO SODYBA

Yearbook

Establishment

Jaunimo sodyba (transl. Youth Homestead ) is located in Lithuanian rural area Kėkštai, 15 km from Klaipėda town. It is a big lonely farm in the fields surrounded by forests, where are variuos structures for children living, working, activities and care.

This organization in Lithuania was created in 2000 June for children and young people from large, low income, social risk families, for orphans benefit, to help youth, who have fewer opportunities in life. Large families are still facing economic, gepgraphic, social adaptation problems in Lithuania.

The founder

The founder of the homestead is lithuanian and german origin Salezian priest - missionary Father Hermann Shultz. He had arrived in Rwanda ( Africa) for humanitarian and christian mission in 1979 . Starting with just a tent, the industrious priest went on to built a Youth centre that offered food, education ant the teaching of trades.

Priest and rwandians had expierienced a terrible tribal genocide in 1994. 8 00 000 people was killed and Youth centre near capital Kigali was destroyed. Late centre was rebuilt. When the hardest times in Rwanda had passed, father dreamed about giving the same opportunities for social outcast children and youth somewere else and began to built a shelter for children, who needs care and attention in Lithuania.

The start in Lithuania

The start in Lithuania was quite hard for all who had worked for Homesteads benefit. The was a lot of work to do. At the start there was a few little houses in the naked fields for living in summer.

Idea Support

The idea of Youth shelter in Kėkštai attracted a lot of help and support from surrounding people and even other countries. Many of them just simple offered a hand. Volunteers from Lithuania and different countries helped farm to grow. Later press and TV began to take interest in Youth work in Kėkštai.

Structures

Soon appeared a lot of structures for children camping and living here. Appeared a place for youth events in warm season...

.. then - a big sport stadium appeared in the Jaunimo sodyba for active children, who likes to play basketball , football, volleyball.

Later a house for cold season was built.

Social risk children are feeling themselves comfortable and safe here.

A Shelter

From 2000 June many years had passed and Jaunimo sodyba in Lithuania became a beautiful and warm place for visiting children, young people and others, who wants to join Homestead works.

Children

Social risk children are having active weekends, summer camps here. Wards families has economical, geographical and alcohol difficulties. Children can sleep here, has good meal and attention of volunteers and workers.

Agricultural Farm

Farm has some domestic animals like horses, ponys, goats, ducks, geeses, hens and pigs. Children can have fresh food in summer, because of many vegetables, which are growing in Jaunimo sodyba all the warm season.