The cooperation with the Belarusian organizations Duxovnost (“Spirituality”) and Provintsija (“Province”), which was established during the project “Nendre – Lessons Learned”, continued in 2007-2008 with support from the Nordic Council of Ministers. As the partner organizations viewed an increase in trafficking in Belarus as one of the most urgent social problems, they chose to focus on preventive activities in form of the girl groups. After receiving an introduction to the method and studying the experiences of the girl group activities at the center Nendre in Lithuania, the Belarusian leaders initiated own groups in five different cities in Belarus – Gomel, Mogilev, Minsk, Borisov and Molodechno. They also received a deepening training and met with the author of the manual for the girl group leaders, Mia Hanström, in connection with a seminar on the Åland Islands. The method manual was translated into Russian.
Apart from the girl group activities, the Belarusian partner NGOs organized various activities and workshops for youth with fewer opportunities, among others orphaned teenagers and children from socially vulnerable families. The aim was to empower young people in socially disadvantaged groups and to enhance their individual skills so that they become better equipped to face various problems and situations in life. A group of teenagers who have taken part in the project continue to share these experiences on a voluntary basis.
The project has also been important for the capacity development of the Belarusian NGOs in the view of the difficult conditions for NGOs that prevail in the country.
