March saw another meeting of the Mentoring 2.0 series, this time hosted by the Hays Poland team. What surprises did they prepare for our kids?

The young people had the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at the work of a large recruitment organisation. An excellently designed and conducted programme of activities ensured that each participant found something interesting.

After a brief talk about the work of the company, our group split into smaller teams to get a taste of what is most important in Mentoring 2.0 – PRACTICE.

The different departments of the company prepared special tasks for our kids. The challenges concerned:

• issues of employee recruitment itself,
• marketing,
• human resources management,
• administration,
• and even accounting (where the young people learned that Excel does not have to be boring, on the contrary – it hides many fascinating possibilities!).

All the tasks were completed brilliantly and the youngsters asked their mentors lots of questions, for which there was time over a shared pizza.

We all feel that Mentoring 2.0 is delivering the results we dreamed of, which is best illustrated by a sentence from one of our charges:

‘All in all, I could work in recruitment, especially in a company like this.’

Martyna, workshop participant

We would like to thank Hays Poland for the fact that together we were able to broaden the horizons of our kids and inspire them to further develop and explore their career path.

March was pretty intense! Behind us are this year’s first Recognise Your Strengths trips for our charges from Warsaw and Łódź. This is often a crucial time in our work with kids.

Every one of our new charges takes part in the trip. It is three days filled with workshops that allow the group to integrate with each other and with the educators. Trust and attentiveness are developed, which, during the activities and exercises, is essential for achieving the goal of the trip. What is that goal?

Our goal: Get to know yourself!

Dojrzewanie to trudny okres dla każdego młodego człowieka. Kiedy trafiasz do domu dziecka, wyzwań Adolescence is a difficult time for any young person. When you find yourself in an orphanage, the challenges increase. You have a lot of questions, but there are no answers and no knowledge of what you are good at, what the future may bring.

Therefore, on the trips, each of our charges is expected to get to know themselves better. Many times to take such a close look at their personality for the first time. They can discover their potentials and talents in order to start developing them.

A variety of approaches

Each charge starts the trip with a different attitude. Some are eager to go right from the start, while others approach it with reserve. 

To some, doing the tasks they do in the workshops appeals immediately, others see them as school tests and exams. It is only when it becomes apparent that THEY are the subject of each question that they begin to engage.

Some people enjoy working in a group and actively participate in them. Others, on the other hand, need a more individual approach to gradually integrate into group activities.

It is very important to us to create a space that is adjusted to the different needs of our kids. The flexible approach of the leaders allows each participant to get the most out of this trip.

A space for everyone 

In an atmosphere open to conversation and honesty, young people begin to feel safe and open up to us.

This leads to the most delightful moments. Kids begin to see their worth and believe in it. There is a sparkle in their eyes where delight and emotion combine. 

These are the moments when they start to believe that they can really ‘spread their wings’. That with their hard work they will be able to change their lives because they have the right tools within them.

I am great. And I have it on paper!

After the trip, each participant gets a full report from us, in which they can read out what they are great at, what characterises them and how they can continue to work to develop effectively. It happens to be the first time a young person has learned so much good about themselves.

The results of the trip give space for further work at the Foundation in subsequent workshops or in individual work with the independence assistant. They are also useful for school, institution and future work.

After the trip, each charge begins their journey, which they will travel at their own pace. We will always support them, accompany them and motivate them to keep going and to boldly pursue their goals and dreams. Because now that they know their strengths, it seems possible for them!

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Trips for charges from Warsaw are made possible thanks to funding from the Capital City of Warsaw.

Trips for charges from Łódź take place within the framework of the project “Dobry Początek” (“Good Beginning”) co-financed by the European Union as part of the Regional Operational Programme of the Łódzkie Voivodeship 2014 – 2020.

From the very beginning of the Foundation’s existence we want to effectively support young people from orphanages. That is why we rely on expert staff and organize trainings so that each of us can develop and contribute even more to the work with our charges. 

Last year we were able to meet in Kawęczyn with the whole team, from Lodz and Warsaw, to train for two days on issues related to exploring young people’s potentials and helping to prepare possible development paths for the future.  

These diagnoses are the key of working with a young person who comes to the Foundation, which is why it is so important to do them as well as possible. We were able to test on ourselves the tools that we use when diagnosing our kids. This has allowed us to look at many tasks from a completely different perspective. 

There was also time for discussions, which facilitated the introduction to the duties of those who have been with us for a short time, and for those more experienced, enabled them to develop new ways of working with young people. Tasks carried out in groups allowed for the integration of teams from both cities and facilitated the exchange of experiences. 

We can already see the positive impact of the training on our daily work with young people, so we recall this time with even more joy. 

Activity funded by the Civic Organization Development Program 2018-2030

The last months of the year are a really bustling and emotional time at the Foundation. Intensive preparations for Christmas and Christmas Eve meetings at the Foundation. Meetings with our charges as often as possible, so that nobody feels lonely at that time. All this complemented with preparation for the challenges waiting in the new year. However, the smiles of our charges as well as the amazing atmosphere we felt both in Łódź and Warsaw are the strongest fuel. What is most beautiful – we do not act alone.

Who and how helped us?

We can count on the wonderful gestures of all the people who support our charges through donations.

Thanks to them in November and December we managed to collect as much as PLN 13 400. 

We are also supported by our Partners. During the holiday season, we were able to operate more efficiently thanks to the support of the companies: Hays, PwC, CMS, Okaeri Consulting. 

What have we done for youth?

The combined support of individuals and business representatives has allowed us to: 

• Organize in Warsaw and Lodz a series of pre-Christmas meetings for young people, during which we baked and decorated gingerbread, decorated a Christmas tree, made Christmas cards and learned to play instruments; 
• Hold 4 Christmas meetings for each age group, with carols, talks, gifts, delicious borscht and dumplings. The kids also received personal letters from their assistants summarizing what they had accomplished in the past year;
• Purchase gifts for a total of 217 wards who were recently supported by us; 

• W czasie spotkań z Mikołajem dzieci naszych podopiecznych otrzymały wymarzone prezenty, o których wcześniej pisały w listach.

Thanks to your help, we disenchanted Christmas.

Together we showed them that Christmas doesn’t have to be associated with negativity. Because Christmas is great when we’re together.

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There are difficult and unpredictable moments at the Happy Way Foundation. Young people leaving orphanages often face the brutality of the surrounding world on their own skin. In such moments one has to act decisively and extend a helping hand to young people.

This is also when the effects of the work of the independence assistants in building relationships based on trust and openness with their charges are most visible.

A morning like a nightmare

One of our charges, Miłosz, was recently beaten and robbed. He lost virtually everything, including the keys to his apartment, which he had recently managed to get through social assistance. He had no wallet, no phone, no documents and no money. He was left with nothing in the middle of a crossroads.

Moments after the incident, Milosz instinctively moved toward the Foundation.

Crisis intervention

We did what we could to help him. He contacted his empowerment assistant and cooled down after such a stressful event. We were then able to work together to get his documents, cards and all banking related passwords frozen. This gave him a little sense of security.

Questions arose: Why is there something wrong in my life again? Why can’t things be normal? Why is this happening to me?

These were difficult conversations between the mentee and the assistant. Miłosz needed support, which he had never received before. We had to take on the role of a parent who would help and show him that the world was not falling apart. Everything can be fixed, you just need someone next to you.

Then everything happened very quickly: the police, the locksmith, applying for new documents. A dozen or so hours later all matters were practically settled. Miłosz will still have many more talks with an independence assistant, in order to work through this event. If necessary, he will also receive psychological help.

The most important lesson

Although the stolen items are unlikely to be recovered, the most important thing is that Milosz is safe and sound. It is heartbreaking that he trusted us and knew he could ask us for help in any crisis situation.

Sometimes we find that beautiful and encouraging lessons can come even from such difficult moments.

Project co-financed by the City of Warsaw.

Youth from foster homes face many challenges. Maturation, a difficult past, a mass of questions about the future. These young people have the same dreams as their peers, but a much more difficult path to their goals. Can we change that?

Of course we do! Our kids are able to reach for the stars! But they need help of wise adults, who will give them a chance for further development and fulfillment of their potential.

Your support for the charges of the Happy Way Foundation is a chance for young people to have a better start and a good future. It is also an opportunity to change a part of the world for the better.

So what are the most important reasons to support the wards of the Happy Way Foundation, and to support the development of public benefit organizations? We have selected a few of them!

You are changing the world of young people from orphanages

The journey to adulthood and independence is never easy, but with your help the chances for success of our charges increase every day. It is thanks to you that our help can be regular, based on close relations with specialists and on thorough analysis of needs and potential of young people.

Our kids are taking important steps in life, and you can make that possible and start accompanying them.

We operate effectively as a public benefit organization

In 2021, it will be 6 years since we’ve been helping our kids. During this time we have reached with our support over 650 young people. We started our operations in Piaseczno, then we moved to Warsaw and in 2020 we expanded our operations to Łódź.

Our comprehensive support program is aimed at young people in foster care (children’s homes and foster families) who are learning independence and responsibility. Our charges work with foster care assistants on a daily basis and bravely face challenges, often despite the lack of help from parents and other relatives.

Working with an Individual Assistant allows you to build a relationship and bond that helps you to spread your wings, learn about your strengths and talents. This makes it easier to plan activities and set goals for the future.

We focus on innovative activities and original support programs. These become a reality in the following series of workshops, as well as in the camps we organize. In 2018 we were recognized as the most innovative and innovative NGO in Warsaw, thanks to which we received the S3KTOR 2018 award.

The more of us, the more effectively we help children from orphanages

Many of our activities could not be undertaken if it were not for the commitment of big-hearted donors. Working together, we can achieve amazing goals, and there is no shortage of good examples to prove it!

Simply put, good comes back

You can deduct the donation from your tax

There are also advantages that are very tangible. Any donation made to our Foundation for the benefit of young people from orphanages is tax deductible. How to do it?

When you file your annual return, all you need is a confirmation of the transfer made to our account or a confirmation of the payment made by DotPay. You don’t need to attach it to the documentation, but it should be kept for five years in case of an audit. You will also find details HERE.

After leaving foster care, young people find themselves in a very different reality. More often than not, it is not a gentle flying out of the nest. It is rather a drastic leap. Gone are the educators who have always been close. Gone, too, are the friends from your room with whom you could talk on any occasion. What remains is silence, loneliness in an empty apartment, and a mass of questions about how to cope with new situations. 

That is why it is important for us that the kids can count on the support of independence assistants during individual meetings. They have a person in the world who is always there for them with advice, help, and REALITY. During the pandemic, when many of our charges feel alienated, this is especially important. 

We know that the biggest changes and magic happen in seemingly ordinary moments. An assistant creates a safe space for their mentee, where finding answers to nagging questions and solving problems is simply easier. 

Such moments certainly include the time that Patryk spends with his assistant- Magda. 

They cook together a lot. Patryk learns how to create his diet, where to look for recipes, how to plan his shopping. He will use this simple recipe for healthy, breakfast shakshuka many times, because he likes it much better than cereal with milk 🙂  

They also come up with recipes together, such as oatmeal-banana cookies, a dessert that is both delicious and healthy.

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However, this is only the first “layer” of these meetings. When they do something together, trust emerges, it’s easier to relax and open up. You don’t have to break down, you can just ask. During one of the culinary meetings, Patrick said that he would like to learn more about planning expenses. Together with Magda they came up with the best tool to organize it all. 

At the next meeting, the work on the budget is in full swing. The table fills up with numbers and Patryk can see with his own eyes where to look for savings, which expenses are necessary and which are not. Now he just has to stick to his budget assumptions 🙂 

The methodical work of the assistants with their charges and building deep relationships allows, step by step, to come to important conclusions and acquire new skills. At the same time young people feel safe and can count on support, which is probably the most important at the beginning of the road to full independence. 

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Project co-financed by the City of Warsaw.

At The Way Of Happiness Foundation we are always looking for new, innovative and effective pedagogical solutions. We go out of the school desk and show our pupils how to use the acquired knowledge in practice. 

This is the goal of the “Math Lab”. It is a series of workshops during which we show mathematics to kids from a completely new, life-enhancing and entertaining perspective. We want to arouse interest in the queen of sciences in those children who do not like it, and also in those who have problems with it. 

In the Lab, kids “touch” math: solving math puzzles, budgeting a birthday party and a trip to Greece, and building a bridge on their own according to Leonardo da Vinci’s design.

During the classes we also learned about the profiles and achievements of prominent mathematicians, such as Stefan Banach and Karol Borsuk. Their colorful biographies are an inspiration for the kids and another reason to like mathematics. Since such interesting people have devoted their entire lives to it… it is worth giving the Queen of Sciences another chance. 🙂 

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