Vitalism buddies

Preventing children from getting into trouble

To prevent children from ending up in youth care, our partner Vitalis links children between the ages of 5 and 18 with an adult buddy. These are volunteers who provide extra support and attention and do fun things with them.

Full attention from a buddy

The match takes into account common interests, personalities and wishes, so that they fit together well. They then spend a few hours together every week for a year and do fun things. This could be anything: baking something tasty, playing games or going somewhere such as the park or the cinema.

More self-confidence and resilience

The one-on-one attention gives the child the opportunity to vent, but also to get away from the home situation for a while and just have fun. At the same time, their environment is expanded and their self-confidence and resilience grows, so that they are stronger in life.

Would you like to become a buddy yourself or would you like to know more? Then take a look at the website of our partner Vitalismaatjes.

The story of Gunnar (9 years old)

Gunnar is a remarkable child: smart, funny, and he could read from an early age. Yet, he hasn't been in school for several years. The school system wasn't a good fit for him. Not going to school not only means missing classes but also less and less contact with friends.

That's why he could really use a buddy. Someone to do fun things with and who could offer him support. Because he loves being outdoors, they looked for a buddy to take him into nature. That's how he was paired with Niels. Niels works for a nature conservation organization and can take Gunnar to the beach, climb trees, and teach him all about nature. They've already spent a lot of time outdoors together, and Gunnar has improved enormously from the contact. He'll even be going back to school soon! Luckily, they can still see each other then, but it will be after school!