Our organisation is located in the capital of Lithuania Vilnius (Population 700 000). It is just 15 minutes by bus from the very centre of Vilnius and 50 minutes with bus from main railway and bus station. Bus links are wonderful - Bus stop is next to organisation and there are 2 different busses going to the city of Vilnius. There is a big shopping centre just in front of organization few minutes walking. There are a lot of leisure activities, not so far from some marvellous parks too. Our organisation is in a "sleeping" part of Vilnius where most people live. There are a lot of schools around but not so many places where pupils can go after the school.

ACTIVITIES FOR THE VOLUNTEER

The project is called the day center for the children of the preschool age (from 3 to 7 years). This project is a part of Blessed J. Matulaitis family help center. The group for children is working every working day (from Monday to Friday). 20 children attend this group 10 months per year, the group is constant - the children are the same all this time. In the day care center children from 3 to 7 years old can stay all day long, while their parents are at work.
The pedagogic is based on catholic principles in this project. It means, that educators and children have short prayers before meals and short teaching once a week, they celebrate catholic fiestas, they have projects from topics from the Bible (for example they are reading, discussing, dancing, and playing the theater about the Noah ark). The group room is situated in the Blessed J. Matulaitis parish house and we participate in parish fiestas as well.
Also the understanding of children and other people from different social classes as a valuable and free persons and developing of love and respect to them is one of the aims of this pedagogy.
Children with Down syndrome attend this group as well. There are two aims for it: to decline the social isolation for handicapped children in Vilnius and to educate children and parents to accept and to teach how to live with handicapped persons in our every day life.
The team of educators is young, friendly, open minded and creative. They speak English fluently.

Target group of the Day care center " Biciuliai" (for the Children of Pre school age):

I Children from 3-7 years old from catholic families of the Blessed J. Matulaitis parish and other places of Vilnius
II Handicapped children with Doun's sindrom integrated in group
III Lithuanian Volunteers who help in day care centre
IV Parents who get the support of Familie center in various projects

Main volunteer's tasks which our organisation expects the volunteer will do:
1. To look after the children (help them to eat, to dress, to go outside)
2. To play with children
3. To create and participate in art projects with children
4. To participate in a group process where children are actively communicating
5. To participate in meetings with educators working in the group
6. To look after the common order (to put dishes to the dish washing-machine, to clean the room and other)

Preliminary hours:
8.30 - 9.30 welcoming children, prayer, breakfast
9.30 - 10. 10.30 the main activity of the day (look below)
10.30 - 11.00 preparation for going to the yard: to help children dressing up
11.00 - 12.00 playing outside/ preparing the group room for the meals and resting time (making the beds, clothing the tables, carrying the meals from the kitchen)
12.00 - 12.30 dressing off, washing arms, relaxing, reading stories
12.30 - 13.00 lunch as a part of education/a child care (helping children to have lunch, giving them a nice example, rules)
13.00 - 13.30 brushing teeth, WC, helping children to undress, unclothing the tables
13.30 - 15.30 the time to have a rest, to sleep/ helping with these children, who has difficulties to have a rest, calming them, staying with bigger children, playing, preparing for school exercisers
15.30 16.30 getting up, helping children to dress up and making up the beds
16.30 - 16.30 playing with children, clothing tables for the dinner, carrying the dinner
16.30 - 16. 45 evening circle/ reflection of the day (rounding off the day with a talk with children)
16.45 - 17.15 dinner as a part of education/a child care (helping children to have lunch, giving them a nice example, rules)
17.15 - 17.30 playing with the children
17.30 - 18.00 tidying up the group room

The main activities of the day depends on each day of week (it could have some changes each school year):
Monday - sports/ choreography
Tuesday - theatre/arts
Wednesday - music
Thursday - Catholic catechesis ("Talk with God")
Friday - free games day

VOLUNTEER PROFILES

As we work with handicapped children volunteer should not to be affraid of that and should be ready for new experience in education of children with some dissabilities.The project appeals to the teaching of Catholic Church and Christian values, so it would be nice that these values would be acceptable for volunteers, but we are open to every young person. As we work with children under the age of 7 years, work demands lots of responsibillity, we are able to accept volunteer, who are older than 18 years.
We are open to all the responsible organizations which are interested in cooperation with us.