Slovak in the UK published an article about our activities

A Ray of Sunshine for a Child interviewed Slovak in the UK. It is important that as many Slovaks and Czechs living in the UK as possible learn about our work.

The whole article is translated into English below.

Our organization A Ray of Sunshine for a child was founded one year before the official date 15.5.2015. We celebrated 4th birthday.
We focus on the weakest, injured parents and children in the heaviest situations as in divorce, separation the couples and domestic violence. We help with contact with children in cases when the social service works with the family, at the beginning and during the judge proceedings and when the children were taken away from their parents. Everyone who contacts us we try to help.

Our organization was established on my own experience with my grandson. We couldn´t find anyone who should advice to us. I addressed the ministries in Slovakia, Slovak embassy and CIPC in Bratislava personally. Even the Mr president. From each of the addressed institutions we received the answer: “We cannot neither help to you nor give advice.” I was searching the help everywhere. I contacted the parents who lived through the similar situation. Gradually I got to the laws Brusel II. and international agreements what motivated me to establish my own organization to be able to help and protect children. Exactly what I was looking for now I really give to others.

The experience and reactions on my work are clearly positive. Daily we are contacted by anonymous people with their questions. We also have clients who ask for the advice from time to time. The mainly parents contact us in cases when the children had already taken away. What is a big pity. On the other hand, we managed to get the children back. I am proud especially on some cases. We receive the thank you letters and messages what we are extremely pleased. Of course here are some people who do not wish us luck, but I´m thankful them, because they keep me alert and push me forward.

A Ray of Sunshine for a Child has many projects. One of them is Klobucik, what is relax for me. Klobucik serve for the meetings of Slovak and Czech people living in UK. We also opened the school for children. Our goal is to teach children slovak and czech language by funny form. We teach them what is all around us, colors, animals, numbers etc. We listen the music and sing the songs. We also speak to parents about their needs and plan the activities and special events as St. Nicolas, Carneval etc.

Big support with our school we have by ISEIA – Slovak education centers and Mrs Jarmila Buchova helps me with everything what I need.

We participate on Taunton Together. This year it is going to be third time. On this event I am very proud. On the beginning it was just the idea what I shared with my friend. We wanted to bring together all the communities in our town. Today we are over 25 centers from all over the world. I am proud to present this way Slovak and Czech republic. This year we were ask to participate in Bridgwater Together. From Bridgwater a lot of families visit the Klobucik.

The stories of many families are difficult. I know we cannot help to everyone according to his expectations but we always try to find a solution. We have already helped 4 years and we have some clients to whom we help from the first day till today.

We educate us to be able to help better according the law. We have successfully cleared some of the clients from false accusations.

Our services are provide for free to everyone who contact us.

Our clients are often in very difficult and hard life situations without money. Than we try to help them by collections. The collections what we organized helped to many families. Some of the clothes were sent to the mothers in need here in UK, the other into Slovak republic.

From October we are planning to start a new project but about this we will talk later.

Dagmar Dureckova

Source: https://www.slovakvuk.com/a-ray-of-sunshine-for-a-child?fbclid=IwAR24Jh6FDXL9T1-SuL5FvtrVwaBq2nD_8EI1LHQTImGxiC3mBtqoqPyo97M

Author: Andrea