Social activities

Home care

In the area of social protection of older persons, Montenegro Red Cross recognizes its role and it is one of the most active partners in this area, due to its mandate, networking and experience with trainings of volunteers and implementation of Home care programme. This programme is being implemented since 2002. In twelve local Red Cross branches (Bar, Budva, Bijelo Polje, Cetinje, Danilovgrad, Herceg Novi, Mojkovac, Nikšić, Pljevlja, Tivat, Plav and Podgorica), as the response to the needs of older, sick persons who live on their own, with the necessity of involvement of new communities in this important activity. Until now, the programme was supported by the International federation of the Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies.

 

Programme beneficiaries, almost thousand of them, are persons above age of 65, who are not institutionalized, older persons with very low level of social security, who do not receive support from any other organizations (criteria are established by the International federation of the Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies, and they are different in different organizations).

 

According to its content, this programme comprises service delivery depending on the beneficiaries need, and those needs are the following:

 

  • Health protection and preventive (blood pressure control, blood sugar control, escort when leaving for check ups,…)
  • Assistance in personal hygiene
  • Working therapy – funkcional (movement exercise) and amusing (creative use of beneficiaries’ free time)
  • Assistance in providing food (food supply, preparation of hot beverages, preparation of simple meals, food serving,…)
  • Assistence in the house (assistence in keeping clothes, shoes, sheets, assistence in hygeine keeping)
  • Activities for the social, cultural, recreational, creational and religious needs
  • Asistence in the rural area
  • Providing expert advices.

 

It is significant to say that Home care programme provides wide specter of possibilities for the complete functioning of the organization in the Home care area, and the existing situation requires development and improvement of the activities for protection of older persons in Montenegro. According to the expressed needs and analyzed situation. A number of different activities implemented by Red Cross have been developed in the local communities, with the aim of covering different needs of these persons.

Role and position of Red Cross comes to the fore through involvement and implementation of the Strategy for development of social protection of older persons in Montenegro, having in mind the fact that Ministry of Health recognized Montenegro Red Cross as a partner in this field. The Strategy defines role of Red Cross in fulfilling the following goals: development of wide and diverse system of forms and services of social protection for old persons, depending on their needs; greater coverage of old persons with the system of forms and services of social protection; identification and regular monitoring of the needs for services of old persons at the local level; improving social protection of old persons with special needs, stimulating participation of private sector in development of social protection of old persons; building positive social approach towards old persons and aging as the process; strengthening volunteer work in delivering social protection services to old persons.

As the reflection of the realistic need for greater support for the old persons, the aim of the programme is to alleviate the problem, to reduce the level of vulnerability and cover basic need of the old and sick persons who live on their own, which will be accomplished through the implementation of the Strategy for development of social protection of older persons in Montenegro.
Implementation of this programme contributes to the development of efficient and more quality system of social protection of older persons, which will be accomplished by improvement of work and programme revitalization, with concrete proposals and activities, with involvement of new communities and increased number of beneficiaries, i.e. persons who need support from Red Cross and other socially protective institutions.
These are also some of the expected results:
  • Easier every day life for old persons, through house assistence, and other outdoor obligations;
  • Better health situation of old persons, through facilitated approach to the health institutions and medicine procurement, and advice for healthy life style;
  • Better social life and increased activity, socializing with volunteers, as well as with other benefeciaries;
  • Strenghtened local Red Cross branches whic can implement the project independently;
  • Improved cooperation with the partners on the programme;
  • Increased number of volunteers engaged on the programme;
  • Created positive approach towards old persons and aging as the process
The main advantage of this programme is that it is mainly based on volunteer work. At the moment, around 150 volunteers are engaged on the programme and future plans of Montenegro Red Cross are directed to the promotion of this programme and recruitmrnt of more volunteers. Also, we will organize seminars for education of new volunteers and refreshments for the existing ones. We will revise the existing manual, which will be aligned with the needs of the volunteers’ field work. Through different management trainings (for project writing, fundraising) we are working on strenghtening local Red Cross branches for the independent implementation of the Programme, with establishing partnerships at the local level.
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Psychosocial support

This programme began its implementation in 1994, when it comprised refugees and then displaced persons from Kosovo. Also, it comprised old persons in collective accommodation, as well as children and youth who implemented activities of this programme in the clubs within their local Red Cross branches. However, since 2003, the programme was redesigned and it is functioning even today in that changed form.

Psychosocial support in Montenegro Red Cross represents work with marginalized and vulnerable categories. It mainly refers to the work with children and youth, as well as to the work with the parents of beneficiaries, with whom we also have direct contact. We work with children and youth with special needs, within organized daily care for children, and with Roma children, who are preparing for the regular education system through this type of activity. This work represents kind of non-formal kindergarten that functions according to the programme foreseen by the Ministry of education for the formal preschool system.

Programme is being implemented in eight local Red Cross branches, out of which two works on the preparation of Roma children for the involvement into the regular educational process, and six local branches are working with the children and youth with special needs.

Work with Roma children – Roma kindergartens:

  • Local Red Cross branch Niksic is actively working on the preparation of Roma children for the regular educational process, within the premises of the local branch. Volunteers are mostly working with this population, but also we have experts and professionals in this area. They work according to the preparatory preschool programme, social –inclusive activities, programme for parents, as well as creative and recreate workshops. This group around 20 participants, with the average participation of 70%, out of which 50% enroll the first grade of primary school.
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Fight against human traficking

The Red Cross of Montenegro implements the program Fight against Trafficking in Human Beings, which is based on preventive and educational activities, as well as humanitarian support activities. Trafficking in human beings is a modern form of slavery that results in a violation of basic human rights.

OBJECTIVE: To contribute to the reduction of the number of victims of human trafficking in Montenegro, as well as to improve cooperation with relevant institutions.

ACTIVITIES:

  • Cooperation with government institutions and other relevant organizations dealing with the problem of human trafficking;
  • Organizing campaigns and marking important dates in the field of combating trafficking in human beings;
  • Organizing and conducting seminars for volunteers of the Red Cross of Montenegro in the field of combating trafficking in human beings;
  • Participation in regional and international seminars, as well as annual meetings on combating trafficking in human beings;
  • Development of educational material for the anti-trafficking program;
  • Cooperation with educational institutions.