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Our volunteer Marie talked to Maari Ernits, CEO of the NGO Older Brother, Older Sister, one of the newest members of the NENO, about their activities and dreams.
Marie. What does the NGO Older Brother, Older Sister do?
Maari: Our mission is simple – we want all children to have a friend. We want all children to have emotional support. The aim of the NGO is to bring together a child in need of support and an adult who can provide it and feel loved and cared for.
Marie: And how do you do that? How do you find volunteers and how do you reach children in need of a friend?
Maari: First you have to apply for the programme. To become a “sibling”, you have to attend a 2-day training. We also need to make sure that the person is suitable, willing to put in time and make a commitment. At the moment we do not run any campaigns to get children into the programme. Children and their families can find us on their own today. In fact, there is no referral to us through a child protection or social work programme. If a professional calls us and tells us about a child they would like to refer to our programme, we ask the family to contact us themselves. Participation in the programme must be voluntary for both the child and the family.
Marie: The reader may think that the mission of the NGO speaks to them, but they may lack the competences to be a good older brother or sister. What skills and personal qualities do you expect from volunteers?
Maari: I think we all are friends of somebody in a way, everyone has someone to support. We’re all someone’s friends, we’re somebody’s helpers, and if you can do that, you can do our programme. You don’t need to have any special knowledge, no teacher or psychologist training. The purpose of an older sibling is to be there. Willingness to devote time is important. You also need to consider that children may be withdrawn. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the volunteer themselves should have frantic energy or be a ball of fun by nature. The important thing is to create a rapport. Some relationships don’t work out, as in life. We expect the volunteer to be involved in the programme for at least a year. If a good friendship is formed, the volunteer may stay in the programme for a much longer period.
Marie: What do volunteers say about being a big brother or sister? Why do they do it?
Marie: Quite often I hear that people come to volunteer in the programme with a desire to help. I often hear people volunteer to help when they feel a need to volunteer. If the friendship works, you can have a companion for years. In training, I always say that you get out of the programme exactly what you are prepared to put in. I’m happy to say that people stay in our programme for a long time. On average, 4-5 years, but the more experienced ones, for example, stay even for 8 years.
Marie: Can you tell us how many older siblings and children have come through the programme so far?
Maari: The programme started in Estonia in 1997 at the Tartu Children’s Support Centre. There is no exact documented data from that period. In 2015, the volunteers of the Support Centre established their own non-profit organisation to expand the activities. Since then, in the course of almost 9 years, 400-500 volunteers and the same number of children have passed through the programme.
Marie: Is it possible to contribute to the mission of the NGO in other ways than becoming an older sister or brother? I dare to suspect that there are some readers who are touched by what you have read, but who, despite your words of encouragement, doubt that they have the skills or even the time to do it.
Maari: We have two kinds of volunteers. There are older brothers and sisters, but we are also looking for members of the executive team. At the moment, there are 11 of us in the team. Whether you want to be a children’s coordinator, a volunteer coordinator or an event organiser, let’s talk. In addition, as is typical of NGOs, we need support for our activities. For those who find they don’t have the time or have other limiting factors, donations are welcome. Of course, simply spreading the word about what we do is also a great help.
Marie: can I apply to volunteer as soon as our interview is done?
Maari: You can join the action team all year round. However, you can only apply to become an older sibling after attending the training. We’ve launched the recruitment period at the end of August, and the next training will take place in the second half of October. We will be based mainly in Tartu, and from 2022 we will also be operating in Tallinn and, for the first year, in Kuressaare. But we are really expected everywhere. Once a month, I get a letter from a few municipal employees asking if we will be working in their area. In the future, we would like to have a model in place that would allow us to operate in smaller regions of Estonia.
Marie: What have you gained from working for the programme?
Maari: I have thought that such a programme could have existed when I myself was young. I started as a volunteer coordinator myself.
However, at one point, the former CEO decided to quit and suggested that I could take over. I was in a great need for self-development and the programme allowed for it and I accepted the challenge. The work of the NGO provides a good stepping stone to move on from the experience gained. One of our volunteers who worked as a children’s coordinator has just recently been promoted to a position as a social worker in one of the municipalities. In short, working in an operational team is a good development opportunity for young people who are attracted by the mission but whose CV is still a bit short.
Marie: What do you expect from the future?
Maari: My big wish is for the NGO to become professional. Being a volunteer imposes certain limits on the time that can be dedicated to the activities of an NGO. However, for this we need different funding. We hope to find it.
The training sessions for new volunteers will take place in Tartu on 28-29 September, in Kuressaare on 5-6 October and in Tallinn on 12-13 October. More information can be found on the website of the NGO Older Brother, Older Sister.
