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Sister`s story
I lived in a family where children were not a priority and the social conditions could not be called satisfactory. I lived in the country and attended a country school. I went to school in not very clean clothes, there was no possibility to wash myself. As a child I did not understand then that it might have been one of the reasons why my schoolmates sneered at me so ruthlessly every day.
I shrank into myself more and more and looked for friends outside the school. At home nobody cared about my problems, but I felt that my terrible social conditions and sneering of my schoolmates frustrated me gradually. I have an eight year younger brother. From the childhood I have been looking after him – took him to school, tried to find some clothes for him, handwashed his clothes, saw to it that he attended school and did his homework.
When I turned 15 I was looking for some possibility to escape from my hopeless situation, I tried to find some help. I had a grandmother who lived about 30 km from our place. I asked her to take guardianship over me and she agreed. Grandmother always took care of me, fed me, washed my clothes, awaited me from school, but the main thing was that I had managed to escape from the terrible conditions at home and school. At the time I moved to my grandmother’s it seemed that the best thing that could happen to me was the running water and the possibility to wash myself because so simple conveniances were not available in my former living place. Moreover – the change of school helped me to recover from sneering of my classmates. So I began my progress at my new school and found new friends. The past seemed like a black rain cloud. I told nobody anything about my previous life because I was ashamed about it.
However my brother stayed living in the country, and I often got a word that he did not go home, stayed with his friends. As nobody cared about him at home, he looked for companions outside it. My grandmother owing to her age cuold not undertake care either legally or physically also for my smaller brother. But as soon as I turned 18 I undertook guardianship over my brother and I am taking care of him even now. The most difficult was the fact that he was exceedingly active – climbing trees, engaging in different activities so that almost every month I had to buy new trousers or mend his clothes. In this respect LFFS helped us a lot – I could get some clothing both for me and for my brother. I am very glad that I could help him. When I had difficulties, people helped me. Unfortunately my grandmother died but she taught me that there is always a way out of seeming deadlock, you must only look for it. At present when the universities are finished, the work is found, still there are moments when it seems I will not be able to manage, I remember how it had been before, the new difficulties seem a trifle.
To my mind Latvian Foster Family Society is doing a great job – people who are in similar circumstances can gather, discuss their problems, share their experience with other foster parents and wards or juniors. Thus it becomes easier, it helps understand that you are not alone, it helps not to hang one’s lip and bravely go forth.
The interview is prepared within the framework of the project „Family Care – Safe Basis for Child Development”. The project is financially supported by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The progam is financed by financial instrument of EEZ and Latvian State.
— February 17, 2016
I lived in a family where children were not a priority and the social conditions could not be called satisfactory. I lived in the country and attended a country school. I went to school in not very clean clothes, there was no possibility to wash myself. As a child I did not understand then that it might have been one of the reasons why my schoolmates sneered at me so ruthlessly every day.
I shrank into myself more and more and looked for friends outside the school. At home nobody cared about my problems, but I felt that my terrible social conditions and sneering of my schoolmates frustrated me gradually. I have an eight year younger brother. From the childhood I have been looking after him – took him to school, tried to find some clothes for him, handwashed his clothes, saw to it that he attended school and did his homework.
When I turned 15 I was looking for some possibility to escape from my hopeless situation, I tried to find some help. I had a grandmother who lived about 30 km from our place. I asked her to take guardianship over me and she agreed. Grandmother always took care of me, fed me, washed my clothes, awaited me from school, but the main thing was that I had managed to escape from the terrible conditions at home and school. At the time I moved to my grandmother’s it seemed that the best thing that could happen to me was the running water and the possibility to wash myself because so simple conveniances were not available in my former living place. Moreover – the change of school helped me to recover from sneering of my classmates. So I began my progress at my new school and found new friends. The past seemed like a black rain cloud. I told nobody anything about my previous life because I was ashamed about it.
However my brother stayed living in the country, and I often got a word that he did not go home, stayed with his friends. As nobody cared about him at home, he looked for companions outside it. My grandmother owing to her age cuold not undertake care either legally or physically also for my smaller brother. But as soon as I turned 18 I undertook guardianship over my brother and I am taking care of him even now. The most difficult was the fact that he was exceedingly active – climbing trees, engaging in different activities so that almost every month I had to buy new trousers or mend his clothes. In this respect LFFS helped us a lot – I could get some clothing both for me and for my brother. I am very glad that I could help him. When I had difficulties, people helped me. Unfortunately my grandmother died but she taught me that there is always a way out of seeming deadlock, you must only look for it. At present when the universities are finished, the work is found, still there are moments when it seems I will not be able to manage, I remember how it had been before, the new difficulties seem a trifle.
To my mind Latvian Foster Family Society is doing a great job – people who are in similar circumstances can gather, discuss their problems, share their experience with other foster parents and wards or juniors. Thus it becomes easier, it helps understand that you are not alone, it helps not to hang one’s lip and bravely go forth.
The interview is prepared within the framework of the project „Family Care – Safe Basis for Child Development”. The project is financially supported by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The progam is financed by financial instrument of EEZ and Latvian State.