Anti-crisis center MAYAK

From working with a wide audience and target groups through trainings, thematic discos, Gender Interactive Theater, we came to the need to work with an individual. This is what prompted us to create an anti-crisis center where children can listen to specially trained coach-consultants of the same age. The center was forced to open by life itself, when the listeners and listeners of our trainings began to come to us for informal conversations or advice. "MAYAK" appeared on the basis of secondary schools. Kiev, where we carried out coaching work. The uniqueness of this center lies in the fact that adolescents are consulted here on a peer-to-peer basis and based on gender sensitivity.

Center "Mayak", stands for "youth alternative" I "- counseling" - is, first of all, help in finding ways to resolve conflicts. After the trainings, the trainers of SRV conduct, the participants and participants of the trainings seek closer contacts with them and talk about their problems.

When solving more complex situations, when the intervention of adults is required, the experience of psychologists, trainers-mentors working in SRV is used. And here there are two ways to continue the work: it is led by a young coach or continued by a psychologist or social educator (in cases where the child suffers from domestic violence, when it comes to drugs or other threat to life, etc.).

The advantages of providing psychological assistance on the principle of "peer-to-peer" also lie in the fact that children who perform the function of counselors usually have not lost their attentiveness, compassion, openness, self-confidence and have a great desire to really help someone who is in a difficult situations.

The project was recognized as the best in the competition "Volunteer of the Year - 2003" in Kyiv.