Halfway through the lifetime of the transnational project SEMPRE, the activities of the micro projects gained momentum in many partnership countries including Lithuania. On the first weekend of autumn, a micro project was started in Jurbarkas town.
The SEMPRE partner Lutheran Diaconia in Lithuania works with single parents in the Jurbarkas region. At previous stages of the project, analysis of needs of the target group was carried out with the aim of assessing the single parents’ needs of communication, knowledge and social skills and identifying the problems relevant to all representatives of the target group – lack of communication and common activity which generates value added.
The analysis identified the needs of the target group, and thus the following concept for a micro project in Jurbarkas region was formulated: to create a platform – community of families – for common activities of single parents which would promote parenting skills, contribute to training of communication and organisational skills, and raise self-esteem.
The micro project started on 2 September 2017 when the Family Afternoon “Give, Exchange, Donate” was organised for single parents in the courtyard of Diaconia Jurbarko Sandora in Jurbarkas. It is important to note the significant contribution of the following partners of Jurbarkas region: Klaipėda University, Jurbarkas district municipality, Jurbarkas Education Centre, Jurgis Baltrušaitis Lower Secondary School of Skirsnemunė of Jurbarkas Region, Vadžgirio Lower Secondary School, Jurbarkas Evangelical Lutheran Parish Diaconia Jurbarko Sandora.
The afternoon of the event was dedicated to communication and training of new skills. A fair was organized during which single parents could sell, donate and exchange their children’s clothes and toys, as well as communicate, exchange social business ideas and develop initiatives for ensuring their needs. A make-up specialist and hair stylist provided consultations to the single mothers who often lack the opportunity to visit the hairdresser’s or make-up specialist since their daily routine slightly differs from that of the families where duties and responsibilities are shared. Single mothers also had the opportunity to meet a specialist of aromatherapy who presented the benefits of natural oils, as well as shared practical advice how to develop the entrepreneurship at minimal cost and measures and encouraged the mothers to search for new social initiatives.
The event was organized by single parents of Jurbarkas region and LEN group.
Photo: (c) Lutheran Diaconia
