End of vacation with Funny Olympics and Lek Sunshine Games

Majda Struc, SAFY vice-president, presented this year’s figures: “This year the initiative A wink at the Sun made it possible to raise EUR 115,830 and thus enable holidays for 351 children. Over the last 17 years 10,600 children went on Wink holidays. Within the campaign 60 Styrian children enjoyed their holidays. In times when an increasing number of parents struggle to offer their children holidays or active, creative free-time activities, this support is truly invaluable.”

To make the last day of the holidays for the children in Maribor as cheerful and memorable as possible, Lek Sunshine Games accompanied the already traditional sports activities of the Funny Olympics. SAFY and the pharmaceutical company Lek, a Sandoz company, organise Lek Sunshine Games as a part of the humanitarian A Wink at the Sun campaign to enable holidays for children from socially disadvantaged families. “We sincerely hope, that with our support these children who would otherwise not be able to go on holidays or be involved in leisure activities, can now step into the new school year with self-confidence and pleasant summer memories,« said Mojca Pavlin, Lek, a Sandoz company.

With SAFY, holidays in Maribor are always fun

During the long summer holidays there are plenty of activities to keep the children entertained in Maribor; including short daily thematic tours, all day trips, art, dance and music workshops, events and competitions, play-and-leisure time activities on the red couch, watching cartoons in the SAFY-cinema, and hiking through the park.

Holidays with friends, activities for children and youth from Maribor, organised by FYA Maribor, started already during the Festival Lent at the end of June, with the natural science workshops at the Art camp in the city park. Later on, the workshops took place in the Centre for Creativity of Youth in Maribor (DUM). At least four workshops were held every day.

From 1 July, short thematic daily tours around Maribor and its surroundings or full-day Wednesday trips around Slovenia and Austria were organized. Altogether, FYA Maribor organized a total of 40 trips which were very popular as on average 40 children took part in each trip; the largest number of participants was 104.

“In total, during July and August, more than 5,000 children attended the Holidays with Friends initiative (workshops, trips, events). The number doubles if we add the activities within the Festival Lent. All activities were free with the exception of Wednesday tours and trips for which a surcharge was required. With the donation by the Večer newspaper we took an additional 52 children from socially disadvantaged families for three free daily trips to the seaside,” explained Saša Mikić, president of FYA Maribor and added that these holiday programs serve as a real life prep school encouraging children’s creativity, curiosity and motor development, independence, social skills, promotion of tolerance, patience and perseverance.

Colourful autumn for SAFY

At the start of the new school year, Breda Krašna, SAFY Secretary General, stressed that SAFY programs and projects will continue during the school year 2015/2016: “Children and schools welcome our programs and we are happy about that. We wish the state would acknowledge the importance of the program, as well, and provide us with support. We are particularly proud of the TOM telephone helpline and the Children’s Parliament. This year both programs are celebrating their 25th anniversary.” SAFY will continue to work on other programs and projects like Children’s Right Protection, Europe in School, Young Researchers – Young Historians, Free-time and Holidays, Social and Humanitarian Programs, and the Children’s Week with this year’s theme “I have to tell you something”.

The initiatives Sick of Words and Paul the Postman fills the schoolbags

In the scope of the Sick of Words initiative SAFY was funding a warm meal (lunch) for 292 children from 79 elementary schools in the amount of EUR 109,901.76 during the school year 2014/2015. Regarding the need to continue with this initiative and the raised funds the SAFY Committee for Social and Humanitarian Matters will process the received applications to help pay school lunches for children from socially disadvantaged families until 15 September 2015. The available funds will be then allocated over the four months (September, October, November, and December 2015). On the 1 January 2016 the amended Act on Enforcement of Rights of Public Funds will come into force.

The initiative Paul the Postman Fills the Schoolbags is carried out in close cooperation with SAFY and Pošta Slovenije (Slovene Postal Services) by collecting school essentials (items for sale at the postal offices) and raising funds until 9 October. By 14 August, more than 12,000 various school essentials were donated within this charity appeal and EUR 5,000 were raised by money transfers and text-messaging. Additionally, Pošta Slovenije contributed school essentials (notebooks, paints, rulers, bags for slippers/sports equipment, reflective objects etc.), also in the amount of EUR 5,000.

Education and training are up next in SAFY at the end of the holidays. The first such training will be held for the Children’s Parliament mentors on 10 September 2015 in Ljubljana. This year’s topic of the Children’s Parliament will be The Traps of Youth.