Structure for Social Rehabiltation

Sillamae is situated in the northeastern part of Estonia and the town is facing all the problems typical of transition period - high rate of unemployment, alcoholism, drug addiction and as a result, we have quite many homeless people who need a shelter. All this caused the need for creating a structure in order to solve this problem in our town. There was established a nonprofit organization, Social Aid Development Centre, founders of which were Sillamae Town Government, Public Utility Company MEKE Sillamae, local office of Red Cross and nonprofit organization " Association of Single Parents"

The centre started its work on November 08, 2000 in the specially allocated two-storied building which was at first meant to be a flophouse but after a hard and well co-ordinated work of founders social aid development centre was established, where people who needed housing found shelter, among them young and old, alcoholics, lonely pensioners, people released from prison, people who have no documents etc. However, the house is not in a good condition and people who found shelter there are doing all the needed repairworks themselves and taking care of surrounding territory. A garden was cultivated where clients of the centre grow vegetables for themselves.The building materials we try to buy with money earned by clients of the centre by cleaning up town territories and offering services to various enterprises according to the labour agreements. From the beginning we had to encounter the problem of drug addicts, who came in centre as homeless people and from July 01,2001 we are working according to the program of changing syringes. Taking into consideration our successful work in this area, on the basis of our organization the Drug Addicts Rehabilitation Centre was opened since July 01 2002. Futhermore, we are working successfully with stepping up the activity of women in social life and also with the problem of violence towards women and children. We are working hardly to prevent drug addiction, alcoholism, juvenile delinquency and preparing to open centre for children and afterwards youth centre. We have many partners in Estonia, as well as in other countries such as Germany, Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia. But the most close cooperation we have withTown Government, Association of Local Governments of Ida-Virumaa, Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs.

We are ready for cooperation and always glad to have new friends and partners.