Our purpose
Help children thrive!
The aim of Nos Kasita is to meet the needs of children who cannot live with their own families temporarily. Lottie does not take over the parents' role but supports the parents to help the children flourish. Lottie and her staff respect the children as individuals and encourage them to maintain their personal identity and culture.
1. Reunite families.
Nos Kasita offers short- and long-term shelter to children and young people in the age group from 0 to 18 years. In addition to orphans, they include victims of abuse, neglect, abandonment, and those in need of supervised care.
It is very important that children and young people stay in touch with their family and friends. Visits from family members are strongly encouraged but are not permitted when children would be in danger or a court order prohibits contact.
Most children return home at some point or move in with other family members. In Suriname it is not uncommon for parents to make unofficial agreements with grandparents, aunts, uncles and other immediate family to care for their children.
Older children who do not plan to return to their parental home are helped to prepare to live on their own. Lottie rents student housing for them.
2. Nurture children in a good and safe environment with adequate food and clothing
Daily routine
Morning
They start with breakfast and an encouraging conversation that prepares them for the day.
Afternoon
After school, a hot meal is ready for them and there are snacks for when they are hungry.
In the afternoon, after some play time, the children are bathed and ready to watch the youth news together. Every weekday some time is spent on homework. Older children are encouraged to help the younger children.
Evening
After a light supper it’s time for bed.
Weekends
During the weekend, besides some rest and relaxation, time is set aside to talk about the week's activities. Any problems that have arisen are discussed and plans are made to tackle them together.
Clothing
Clothes for the children are donated, but new school uniforms must be purchased or made by Lottie every year.
Privacy
Each of the children has a place for his or her personal belongings, and they are taught to respect each other's privacy.
Lottie does her best to give the children some privacy when relatives come to visit or when they have to do homework. But that is a challenge at the moment. Lottie would like to have a few huts built on the grounds. There the children would have a safe and quiet opportunity to study, receive visitors or just sit or play.
Nos Kasita has 8 large bedrooms, 4 girls' and 4 boys' rooms. There are 8 bathrooms and toilet groups. The girls' rooms are on the first floor and the boys' rooms on the ground floor. Lottie and her staff do everything they can, with the help of local and international donations, to make the rooms as cozy as possible.
Relaxation
On the ground floor there is a large dining room with a communal area, which is also used during playtime. Playing games is encouraged and volunteers regularly come to help organize group leisure activities.
The space on the first floor is used for general activities.
Next to the house there is a large, covered area for washing clothes but also for outdoor activities. There is also a basketball court for the children, something that Lottie would like to have expanded into a playground with more equipment.
3. Motivate the children’s education.
Nos Kasita helps the children strive for a normal family life. In addition to a safe place to live and food, education is a very important part of this.
Children who already attend a school are supported to continue attending. Those who do not yet have a school place are helped to find one. This is not always easy, because some of the children lack the necessary legal documents. Fortunately, there are some school principals who are already allowing the children to attend school while the paperwork is being arranged.
Organizations that regularly provide additional information and training to children include the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, the Lobi Health Center Foundation, the Fire Brigade, the Police and the Sports and Games Foundation.
By watching the youth news every day, Lottie wants the children to learn punctuality and grow in general knowledge.
Older children or regular volunteers often help the younger ones with their homework.
The children are offered the opportunity to receive a personal Bible teacher and mentor on a weekly basis.
Friday evening is the needlecraft evening, where the children are taught basic sewing skills. During the weekend they are taught, in turn and under supervision, to prepare an easy meal or snack.
4. Provide mentoring to help them become balanced adults and achieve their goals
Nos Kasita wants to help the children to:
- Cultivate good norms and values.
- Cultivate a sense of personal responsibility.
- Develop their own opinions and learn to express themselves appropriately.
- Stay open to learning new things.
- Deal with problems in a balanced way.
- Learn to make wise choices.
- Prepare for life in the community.
Lottie motivates the children in a positive way by encouraging and rewarding desired behavior.
The children are all assigned their own task, appropriate to their age and skill.
The help of a social worker is regularly requested. Children who need specialist care from a psychologist are occasionally prescribed several consultations by their doctor (general practitioner). If more consultations are required, these will have to be provided from our own resources. The sessions are usually only offered in emergency situations. But that has proven to be far from sufficient.
