“We choose a life without dependencies, a healthy and happy future!”

The “Youth People Against Drugs – Pinsk Model” Project is a joint project between NGO Kalegium and WFAD. The project is situated in Belarus and funded by ForumCiv. The project’s overall aim is to improve the sustainability of the system of primary prevention, targeted prevention, and early detection of youth, with a special focus on young girls.

The project started in Minsk 2018. It was prepared by the cultural and creative association Kalegim (Pinsk, Belarus) and the World Federation Against Drugs (Sweden), in cooperation with the Pinsky City Executive Committee, the Commission for Juvenile Affairs of the Brest Region and the Interior Ministry of the Republic of Belarus.

The Youth Against Drugs project targets young people and brings together professionals and public figures working in the field of substance abuse prevention and other risky behaviour of adolescents.

The project includes work on the following areas:

  • The City Club “Rovesnik-Rovesniku.” It is an association of young people, working with whom it is aimed at building leadership and communication qualities in adolescents from different educational institutions, acting as volunteer instructors, implementing the principle of “Equal teaches equal.”

Learning in accordance with the “Equal Teaches Equal Learning” approach is a process in which adolescents help their peers develop skills and knowledge in the field of healthy lifestyle, safe and responsible behavior, as well as to form value orientations aimed at moral attitudes towards themselves and others, respect for human rights. The club’s work is carried out on the basis of the Center for Additional Education of Children and Youth in Pinsk.

  • Bella Girls’ Group. Working with groups of girls in different educational institutions, allows participants to develop self-confidence, responsibility, respect for the opinion of others, the ability to listen and speak out. For girls who want to become volunteers of this movement and to hold meetings in groups for younger girls, training is provided.
  • The self-help club “To4ka”. The club’s activities are aimed at young people finding their internal resources to overcome difficult life situations. Specially trained coaches help and support teenagers in crisis. Young people who visit the club during the school year, are recommended by the Inspectorate of Juvenile Affairs, the Commission on Juvenile Affairs and the social-educational and psychological services of educational institutions.
  • A contractual method for promoting positive behavior of “SMART” adolescents. This method is designed to sign the contract “SMART”, the teenager not only takes responsibility for their behavior and makes a choice in favour of a healthy lifestyle, but also receives support from like-minded people: peers, parents and teachers.

To learn more about the project, visit their website: www.Kalegium.org.