Dear friends and supporters,
After a long communication break – also caused by Corona – we are contacting you today with a newsletter. We hope that you have coped well with the Corona period and have remained healthy.
In our newsletter we report on the well-functioning PATRIA program, inform you about the successful educational graduations of some of our protégés and show you three thank-you letters from young Lithuanians who, with targeted coaching support and also financial help from the PATRIA program, have achieved their bachelor’s degree in the summer of 2020.
The Corona period was also difficult for people in Lithuania, but especially for the young people from our PATRIA program, as they usually have to cope in life without family support. So it was good that support from our PATRIA social workers continued – it was provided by phone during the Corona lockdown – and could be extended to all young people who came to PATRIA for help. We were also able to continue our financial support of the young people who are supported in our program with the “scholarship”, which unfortunately was not the case with many other volunteer programs in Lithuania.
The exchange between PATRIA and our association and our board member Jurate Bogacz continued to function very well thanks to the regular video conferences. Only the fourth summer camp with about 20 young people in an open-air museum near Kaunas, planned for September 2020, had to be cancelled this year due to the Corona situation. We would like to use the money saved for this event to expand a training center for our young people – we will report in detail on this new project in our next newsletter in early November 2020.
Also in 2020, we were pleased to see some successful vocational qualifications of our protégés in Lithuania. All of them were comprehensively promoted and supported by the PATRIA – program. Among the graduates there are also the three students Joana, Delianas and Simona, to whom we would like to express our sincere congratulations.u congratulate them on their successful Bachelor’s degrees! Joana’s long-cherished dream of a degree in graphic design has come true, Delianas has finished his chemistry studies with “honors” and now wants to begin his master’s studies, and Simona wants to continue her studies with a focus on “police work” after completing her bachelor’s degree in law.
Read here three excerpts from the sincere thank you letters written by these students to “Kinderdörfer in Litauen e.V.” and the PATRIA organization. You can also read the full letter texts at the end of our newsletter.
Joana: “My professional dream came true”.
Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, ene of the first young people in the PATRIA program
Dear board team and supporters of “Children’s Villages in Lithuania e.V.”!
Although the beginning of my life was very difficult, I was fortunate to meet many good people along the way and learn something positive from them. When I was still at school, I heard about the PATRIA program and the association “Kinderdörfer in Litauen e.V.”. I remember very well the first meeting with Otmar and our conversations about dreams, possibilities, aspirations. Even then I understood that everything is possible, even if it sometimes takes a lot of effort. Despite my difficult situation, I believed that I could achieve everything I had always dreamed of. From 9th grade on, I dreamed of becoming a design graphic artist, and now I’m holding my diploma in my hand and can’t believe I made it. …
“Ačiū” as a word of thanks is far too small to be able to express how grateful I am for your support.
With love and gratitude. Your Joana
Simona: “At PATRIA I got life advice”.
Bachelor’s degree in law, she would like to continue studying “police work”
Dear supporters of “Children’s Villages in Lithuania e.V.”, dear Evelina from PATRIA,
Here I would like to say THANK YOU for your help and support, which I needed so badly! With the help of the PATRIA scholarship, I was able to fulfill my dream and study law where I really wanted to – in the College of Social Sciences. This is how my dream came true. I could not have done it without your help. For me, your support was the foundation for my future life and career path. I will continue to work on it. …
A big and hearty AČIŪ! Your Simona
Delianas: “I’m proud of my degree”
Bachelor’s degree in chemistry with honors, er continues his studies in chemistry
Delianas Palinauskas graduated in 2020, earning a bachelor’s degree in “chemical science” with honors. Delianas is very proud of his degree and is continuing his studies to earn a master’s degree. During the master’s program, he will remain in the PATRIA training program and he will continue to visit his supervisors at PATRIA. For Delianas, the PATRIA grant was a great way to save for major purchases. So in 2019, he was able to buy a PC from his savings, which made his studies much easier. Delianas lives very frugally and he plans to buy an IPad this year, possibly a new cell phone….
These three positive life experiences of Joana, Simona and Delianas give us courage and confidence to continue the support of young people in Lithuania in cooperation with the Catholic youth welfare organization PATRIA, especially in these difficult times. We are happy to have you, dear friends and supporters, at our side in this and thank you very much for your interest and trust in our work! In our next newsletter we will tell you about our new project idea “Further education center for young people in Kaunas” and also again about our children living in the children’s village Marijampoles.
We wish you all a beautiful autumn and remain
With warm greetings Yours Otmar and Ingrid Debald
on behalf of the team of “Children’s Villages in Lithuania e.V.”.
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Reprint of the three complete texts by Joana, Simona and Delianas
Joana
Diploma in design-graphics, one of the first young people in the PATRIA program
Dear board team and supporters of “Children’s Villages in Lithuania e.V.”!
Although the beginning of my life was very difficult, I was fortunate to meet many good people along the way and learn something positive from them. When I was still at school, I heard about the PATRIA program and the association “Kinderdörfer in Litauen e.V.”. I remember very well the first meeting with Otmar and our conversations about dreams, possibilities, aspirations. Even then I understood that everything is possible, even if it sometimes takes a lot of effort. Despite my difficult situation, I believed that I could achieve everything I had always dreamed of. From 9th grade on, I dreamed of becoming a design graphic artist, and now I’m holding my diploma in my hand and can’t believe I made it.
I am infinitely grateful to all the people who believed in me even more than I did. Now I have a firm foundation and feel strong. I remain in the belief that I can and will achieve even more. Today I understand that most barriers are in the mind and that anything is possible.
Thanks to the support of “Kinderdörfer in Litauen e.V.” I was able to study and obtain a bachelor’s degree. The scholarship helped me to save something for and to buy things necessary for life. The most beautiful thing was that every year at the summer camps I could meet some of the people (like Otmar, Ingrid and Jurate) who actively contribute to the activity of the association. I learned or experienced something new from them every summer. It makes me very happy to meet and experience people who invest their time, effort and resources (if we want to mention money) to support young adults in Lithuania on their way to independent life.
I thank each of you who contribute to the existence and activity of the Association “Children’s Villages in Lithuania e.V.” and thus support us young adults in Lithuania. With your help, several opportunities open up for us young people. They are the people who gave me the conviction to believe that dreams can come true. In the future, I would also like to actively support your work and help other young people as I was helped. “Ačiū” as a word of thanks is far too small to be able to express how grateful I am for your support.
With love and gratitude. Your Joana Bajarskyte
Simona
Bachelor’s degree in law, sou would like to continue your studies in “police work”.
Dear supporters of “Children’s Villages in Lithuania e.V.”, dear Evelina from PATRIA,
Here I would like to say THANK YOU for your help and support, which I needed so badly! With the help of the PATRIA scholarship, I was able to fulfill my dream and study law where I really wanted to – in the College of Social Sciences. This is how my dream came true. I couldn’t have done it without your help. For me, your support was the basis for my future life and for my career path. I will continue to work on it.
Besides the material support, I had another and invaluable help – my supervisor Evelina at PATRIA. All the time she accompanied me and advised me and stood by me whenever I needed it. She helped me stay on the straight and narrow. We talked about all the topics that moved me. She was the person who laughed with mrt and was sad. She “nudged” me when necessary so I didn’t lose the thread.
At PATRIA, I received “life coaching.” Patria and the people there were my support to stand firmer and they took away my fear to go forward. Many thanks to Evelina and all supporters of “Kinderdörfer in Litauen e.V.” for always being by my side. You have shown me what I can do and that I am worthy of a better life. I would like to continue my studies in Mykolo Riomeriu University, studying police activity.
A big and hearty AČIŪ! Your Simona
Delianas: “I’m proud of my degree”
Bachelor’s degree in chemistry with honors, He continues his studies in chemistry with the goal of a master’s degree
Delianas Palinauskas graduated in 2020 and earned a bachelor’s degree in “chemical science” with honors. Delianas is very proud of his degree and is continuing his studies to earn a master’s degree. During the master’s program, he will remain in the PATRIA training program and he will continue to visit his supervisors at PATRIA. For Delianas, the PATRIA grant was a great way to save for major purchases. So in 2019, he was able to buy a PC from his savings, which made his studies much easier. Delianas lives very frugally and he plans to buy an IPad this year, possibly a new cell phone….
Delianas is very grateful for the opportunity to discuss his issues and receive supportive counseling during his visits to the PATRIA House in Kaunas. He calls his participation in the PATRIA summer camp in 2019 – even with the time gap of one year – a “personal challenge and very difficult experience.” The program of the camp was very interesting, yet it was very painful for him to mentally return to the time when he was still living in the orphanage. But he remembers the conversations with the PATRIA supervisors, the coach and the organizers as very good and benevolent.