Health care and social welfare programmes

Health care and social welfare programmes aim to improve the quality of life of beneficiaries and their closes ones. They have been systematised based on following groups:

 

Children      

Philanthropy is particularly focused on children and youth deprived of parental care. Within the St. Sava Classroom programme, initiated in 2001, trained volunteers assist children in learning process and obtaining life skills necessary for independent living. This programme is being implemented in Belgrade, Sremska Kamenica, Nis, Kraljevo and in Banjaluka. Philanthropy’s main partners are social welfare institution in charge for children and youth deprived of parental care.

 

Elderly

In the period 2001 – 2010, Philanthropy implemented the programme for elderly and immobile persons named Mobile Medical Home Care in Belgrade, Kragujevac and Knin (Croatia). The purpose of this programme is to improve health and psychological condition of beneficiaries not being able to leave their homes.

Since 2004, Philanthropy is a member of the Humanas network (http://humanas.rs/), a network gathering organisations involved in elderly related issues. In its initiatives, this network improves the quality of lives of elderly and advocates for improvement of their rights with decision makers.

 

People living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV)

In 2003, Philantropy initiated a programme providing expertise and voluntary psycho-social support for people living with HIV/AIDS – PLHIV. In addition to this, Philanthropy also actively participates in raising public awareness about violation of human rights of these people and challenges they have in everyday life. This programme’s main purpose is suppression of social isolation and discrimination of PLHIV, as well as development of voluntary work and public awareness on presence of HIV/AIDS within various social groups. Philanthropy’s key partners are Centre for HIV/AIDS at the Institute for Infective and Tropical Diseases of the Clinical Centre of Serbia, centres for social work, Institute for Public Health and the National Office for HIV.

Philanthropy is one of the founders and an associated member of the Union of PLHIV organisations in Serbia – USOP (http://unijaplhiv.rs/)

 

Terminally ill

Philanthropy advocates for definition of standards of human rights of terminally ill persons and palliative care services, in order to enable these people and their closest ones to be treated with respect and full recognition of their dignity and individuality.

 

Families having a member with disability

By organising various activities in their homes and supporting their social inclusion in wider community, Philanthropy provides psycho-social support to families having a member with disability, aiming to improve families’ overall quality of lives.

 

Social welfare and child care beneficiaries

In its mission to provide assistance to the marginalised social groups, Philanthropy detected that beneficiaries often times lack information on their rights, on available health care and social welfare services and service providers. In order to overcome these obstacles, Philanthropy produced Guides through social welfare services in five municipalities in Serbia. Philanthropy also published a Guide on perspective of social inclusion of persons with disability and people living with HIV/AIDS.