NGO´s projects presented at AmCham Ball/Žofín Garden

On Saturday, November 21, AmCham organized its traditional Thanksgiving Ball for its members and their business partners at the Zofin Palace. The evening was in the spirit of social responsibility. The following NGOs´ projects aiming to improve the community life were presented at the ball: KOKOZA – kompostování, SANANIM/organic farm U Karáska, Czechitas/"IT pro holky", Rozlet/Café Bazaar, AFS Mezikulturální programy, Etická výchova/ASET, & Lékořice/Art Therapy.

More information about individual NGOs and the projects presented at the ball:

KOKOZA

Project: Composting in the city 

Main motto/aim of the project:

• Compost in the city? Yes, you can!
• The main aim is to contribute to solving the social problem of large amounts of organic waste ending at landfills and waste incinerators 

Webpages of the project: www.kokoza.cz

KOKOZA is beneficial venture. We promote composting and growing in the city among people, companies and other organizations  We inspire and motivate them to use composting technologies appropriate to the city to grow for their use and for pleasure. We create a space for collaboration with active people, companies and public administration for the visibility of these themes. We work with people with mental illness and create job opportunities for them.

Etická Výchova ops/ASET:

Project: ASET (Adopt a School for Ethics)

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVDJFytHMn0 

Main motto/aim of the project: 

• Adopt a School for Ethics is a program connecting Elementary Schools and Corporations under the auspices of the Ministry of Education
• ASET is not only a CSR project, but also a tool of an internal communication - it increases the awareness of the employees that Ethics is a core value of your Company
• Ethics helps to develop soft skills of the students as well as their EQ (emotional intelligence)
• Ethics significantly improves the social climate in the classes and helps to prevent bullying, aggressive behavior etc.

Webpages of the project: www.etickavychova.cz/ops/aset

The nonprofit organization Etická výchova was founded in 2010 as a response to the decision of the Ministry of Education to introduce a new facultative subject Ethics to Elementary schools in the Czech Republic.

Our mission is to help the elementary schools implement Ethics through equipping and training their teachers, who would then teach the kids.

Etická výchova has a goal to promote Ethics. We were given a right to award schools with a title “Ethical school” under the auspices of the Ministry of Education. There is 67 schools, which have fulfilled the criteria so far.

Czechitas

Project: IT for girls, girls for IT

Main motto/aim of the project: 

• Our purpose is to educate, inspire, and equip ladies with skills and resources to pursue opportunities in computing fields
• We provide women with a certain technical  qualification at our workshops and through participation on real projects
•  
• We offer a unique platform that connects companies interested in gender diversity for teams on one side, and women interested in IT on the other side
• We participate also in many activities involving children and youth in programming

Webpages of the project:

 http://www.czechitas.cz/

http://letni-skola.czechitas.cz/

http://akademieprogramovani.cz/

Czechitas is a non-profit initiative of young women pursuing the goal of educating other females in IT. We help ladies and girls to see the opportunities in the IT field and make it more accessible to them. Our main activity lies in organizing educative workshops and seminars focused on programming, graphic design and web development. Those courses are free of charge and available to all women regardless of their age, previous work experience or knowledge. We share our vision in talks given on barcamps and technical conferences. We have built a successful, inspiring organization that is changing women’s lives and breaking social barriers as it empowers young women to learn and lead in the IT environment. With two-year experience we decided to spread our focus on youth and their excitement over technologies so we could influence their career choices and an increase in digital literacy in general public.  

SANANIM

Project: Organic farm "U Karaska" 

Main motto/aim of the project: 

"We do not wish to walk indifferently away from those who have lost faith in themselves, in their fellows, in their very human existence. Those who on their path through life have sought refuge in a drug and have thereby come to know its hidden face, a face which reveals itself with a ruthless logic - the face of suffering, pain, loneliness, oppression, and death. We wish to offer a helping hand to all who yearn for it, to all who have sounded an SOS. And we wish to warn those who see in drugs the symbol of a magical, mysterious, or romantic revolution, or the escape from an otherwise hostile reality."

The goals of the Bio Farma “U Karaska” project are the same as SANANIM:

• Therapeutic Treatment Through Community & Shared Experiences
• Build Healthy Relationships and A Sense of Responsibility & Purpose
• Learning of Life Skills and Skills For Re-socialization In The Greater Community
• Set and Manage Realistic Life Expectations
• Learning of Commercial Job Skills & Experience
• Provide A Sense of Accomplishment

Webpages of the project: www.sananim.cz

Founded in 1990, just after the Velvet Revolution expelled communism in 1989, SANANIM is now one of the largest non-governmental organizations in the Czech Republic with 14 facilities providing complex services in the prevention, treatment and re-socialization of non-alcoholic drug addictions. Besides direct services for clients, SANANIM participates in various research studies, international projects, policy planning all facilities offer professional consultations and internships for experts and students.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gq512USmdo

AFS Mezikulturní programy, o.p.s.

Project: 20 Years of Connecting Lives and Sharing Cultures in the Czech republic  

Main motto/aim of the project: 

 Finances should not be an obstacle for young people in their future education 

• 20th Anniversary & 20 Scholarships 

Webpages of the project:  www.afs.cz/stipendia/stipendijni-programy/

AFS is an educational, non-profit organization that through our high school exchange programs together with our volunteers, teachers and host families we teach young people to tolerate, to respect and to appreciate the culture diversity.  Real life experiential learning, supported by structured reflection, is the core of our programs.

Rozlet ops/ Café Bazaar

Project: Bistro - Social Firm 

Main motto/aim of the project: 

We help disadvataged young people to catch the right wind in their lives

-        socially responsible business

-        training work program – our employee training get:

• their first work experience
• basic work habits
• motivation to work and further education

We operate two bistros and provides catering.

Webpages of the project: www.rozlet-ops.cz 

Rozlet helps young people who grow up in adverse family environment and in children homes on their way to independent living.

Our mai goal is to provide support for the young people to gain knowledge and skills necessary for their life in society and reduce the risk of social exclusion and long-term dependence on social services.

Lékořice

Project: With Lekorice in the hospital….

Main motto/aim of the project: 

Common goal of all Lekorice´s projects is providing psychological support for patients, their relatives and hospital staff.

Webpages of the project: www.lekorice.com

Our primary mission is to introduce more social contact in the hospital environment and to connect the isolated world of the sick with that of the healthy.

We combine the work of volunteers with that of professionals. The projects focus on patients´mental well-being, providing religious care, game therapy and canistherapy. Thank to volunteers´regular visits, the patients and medics can stay in touch with the “healthy” world outside. Our organization also cooperates with volunteers from various corporations. Since 2011 we have been running Our Café, which is a project of supported employment for disabled people and for people who take care of their relative.