By Jenny Rassaby Ryan (AU/US)
Imagine living in this rundown building with your children. Five single mothers and their children currently do. It’s their reality as they transition from emergency situations to stable independent living. It is not ideal, but it is immeasurably better than other options presently available to these families. While the summer months may not be so bad, poor insulation makes cold winters difficult to endure.
Now visualize these five families living in a more spacious, modern structure, crafted using solid shipping containers. Plans are already in place! Such containers have been used in various projects around the world, and have proven to make a great home-building material. They are eco-friendly and affordable, and can be assembled simply and efficiently to create a sleek and comfortable living complex.
Středisko křesťanské pomoci Horní Počernice, abbreviated to SKP HOPO, is currently in the process of raising funds to demolish the old structure, picture at top of article, and replace it with the new complex. IWAP has pledged to help!
IWAP’s aid supports women like Marie:
Last year, 32 year-old Marie turned to SKP HOPO for help. Her husband is an alcoholic with a violent nature, and after many years of abuse she was unable to stay with him any longer. Marie suffered significant anxiety, and worried for her own life and the lives of her two young children. She and her children were able to find safety in the single mothers’ residence provided by SKP HOPO. Arriving at the shelter without money or resources, Marie and her children were initially completely dependent on the services provided to them. Over several months, and with the support of SKP HOPO staff, she found balance and stability again on both a personal and financial level. Away from constant crises, she was able to care for her children and give them more opportunities.
Marie and her children ended their stay in the single mothers’ residence after eight months, when a social flat in Prague 9 was established for them. At the same time, she secured a stable job in her field of expertise, which enabled her to stop being dependant on social benefits. Marie considers her stay at the SKP HOPO as the crucial turning point in her life. She found self-confidence and the ability to stand on her own feet and support her children.
Founded in 1999, SKP HOPO has provided temporary housing for around 3000 people. Residents stay in the three main buildings of their facility for up to a year, with more than 80 parents and children in residence at any one time. The shelter places great emphasis on providing comfortable and safe accommodation and support services so that displaced family members can stay together as they get back on their feet.
Services are offered to a broad target group, including couples in crisis and their children, single mothers and single fathers with children, women in the last trimester of pregnancy, and families preparing for the return of their children after periods of separation. Residents participate in the management and operation of the shelter, take responsibility for cleaning and maintaining their homes, and actively work towards independence.
IWAP has cooperated with this non-profit organization previously, purchasing the windows for the reconstruction of the larger family residence in the facility in 2016, collecting women’s hygiene and cosmetic items at our International Women’s Day 2018 meeting in March, and promoting donations of much-needed furniture on our IWAP Interactive Facebook group. To learn more about previous IWAP Charity work with SKP HOPO, please see this link for articles written in The Bridge.
SKP HOPO is one of the selected charities for the 2018 IWAP Christmas Market. You can support this cause by volunteering to participate at the Christmas Market or make cash donations to the IWAP Charity Fund. Monetary donations are always appreciated, please access this link for donation information.
Jenny Rassaby Ryan moved to Prague with her husband in 2013. Leaving her grown kids in another country was the hardest part of the move, but she has embraced life in the Czech Republic and loves being here. Joining IWAP became a way to make wonderful friends, explore her adopted home and its culture, and participate in activities to support Czech charities. She is honored to be IWAP’s President.
