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Homeless Girls Shelter
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Malookhtinsky Dom Trudolyubiya (House of Diligence),
The Social Rehabilitation Center for Teenagers
Director: Galina Volkova; Deputy Director: Lidiya Grigorevna Dotsenko
E-mail: volkova@mail.wplus.net
Phone: (+7) 812.528.6202 or (+7) 812.529.9124
Address: 51 Malookhtinsky Prospekt, Saint-Petersburg 195112, Russia
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The Social Rehabilitation Center (SRC) was established in 1891 in honor of St. Georgy Vladimirsky
by way of a contribution by a St. Petersburg merchant named Mr. Petrov. The Center offers medical,
psychological and pedagogical aid, as well as social and legal protection for neglected and
disadvantaged adolescent girls aged 13-18. These girls have been deprived of parental care,
housing and means of existence. Many have retarded psychological development.
They have had experiences with vagrancy, hunger, theft, adolescent prostitution, early alcoholism,
addiction to toxic or narcotic substances, and often have experienced cruelty and violence.
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The Center hosts up to 51 girls for full-time residence. Within the past 3 years, about 250 girls have received support in the Center. Length of residence is generally one year. During this year, social-legal problems are solved, help in career and life planning is given, and a course in medical and psychological-pedagogical rehabilitation can be attended. Every girl receives care according to her individual needs.
The girls can live in the Center, though regular residence is only possible if the girls wish it. They can visit a daytime medical consultation, receive care from social workers or join an educational home group. A hotline called "Otsy i dety" (Fathers and Children) has been established and offers free consultation services for parents and their adolescent children at the Center or over the telephone (phone: 528 62 02).
Living conditions in the Center are made as homely as possible. The girls live in comfortable, light rooms, and "home-made" food is served in the dining-hail. There is an arts workshop in the Center, a leather-working studio, a drama studio and a literary cafe and classes are offered in aerobics, gymnastics and English. Work in the Center's computer class enables the girls to take up professions which require knowledge of PCs.
Since 2000 the Center has been implementing a program to support former residents of the SRC: a Club for former residents has been opened and for the first time there are 2 social apartments which function as a place of refuge for those girls who have already left the Center, but are without habitation. Here also young women from St. Petersburg find refuge, who would otherwise be exposed to violence at home, sexual harassment and Involvement in sexual trafficking,
Since September 2000 the Center has issued its own monthly journal named "Stuk Serdtsa" (Heartbeat), where artistic works of the residents and employees are published. The Center also has its own methodological materials entitled, "Prevention of child and adolescent prostitution; rehabilitation of adolescent girls who have taken this path and need medical, psychological, social or legal aid", "Preparing adolescents for family life", "AIDS and the adolescent", "Adolescent girls: my fate in my hands (support for former residents of social rehabilitation Centers in St. Petersburg)", and "Sexual education". These materials are available for use by any interested parties.
The Center has participated in 6 international conferences on violence and the trafficking of
women, attended seminars and round tables on the subjects of the rehabilitation and prevention of adolescent prostitution, the rehabilitation of victims of sexual abuse (including incest), the trafficking of women, and the rehabilitation and prevention of adolescent alcoholism and drug addiction. In April 2000 a Russian-German conference - "Help for children who are victims of violence" - was held at the Center. In March 2001 the Center organized an International conference with the Swedish Children's Fund on the subject "Work with children who sustain violence", The Center participated in the European forum in Berlin on the subject "The future of Europe - a future for girls?!" in May 2001. The Center is ready to participate in any project that deal with protection of children against exploitation, prostitution, pornography and the drug trade', the trafficking in women and equal opportunities for young women and men.
The Center's budget, supported through grants, only allows the Center to provide its residents with the essentials. In order to provide other services, the Center relies on personal donations. The Center thanks all the people and organizations who have demonstrated their care for neglected and disadvantaged adolescents depending on social institutions.
More Information
Flyer, page 1
Flyer, page 2
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