 On 20 January, a project to provide healthcare and rehabilitation
treatment for young and homeless drug addicts was launched in Hungary.
Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway support the project with close to €1
million.
The Diótörés Foundation offers healthcare, drug addiction
rehabilitation and work training to drug addicts between the ages of 18
and 35. Patients stay at the Foundation's "Nut Tree" treatment centre,
where the Foundation employs 2 psychologists, 4 doctors, 4 nurses and 1
person responsible for work rehabilitation.
The Foundation faced difficulties alongside the economic recession
in 2009. Grant support from the EEA and Norway Grants proved invaluable
to keeping the outreach programme afloat. According to Project Manager
Gabriella Csépányi, the 100 to 150 young drug addicts receiving
treatment at the Foundation would be back at the streets without the
new financing. "Thanks to the support from the EEA and Norway Grants
we're not only able to continue our work, we're also expanding. We are
training personnel in treatment methods, expanding the 'Nut Tree'
treatment centre in Lulla and refurbishing one building in Budapest."
The patients undergoing rehabilitation stay the Foundation's "Nut
Tree" centre for a period of between a few months and 5 years. "Most of
our residents have lived in state care institutions for a long period
of time. Their life has evolved around drugs, crimes and prostitution.
They don't know how to interact with other people without drugs, and
that's what we are trying to change," explains Tamas Szilagyu, Manager
of the "Nut Tree" centre.
Each resident at the centre have to contribute to the running of the
place, including cleaning and feeding the animals, chopping wood and
preparing the meals. Szilagyi says the rule is simple: "You don't help,
you don’t stay".
"Our aim is to aid young people who have several disadvantages, who
through the lack of comprehensive state welfare networks face lifelong
homelessness and marginalisation. We want to help them escape the
circle of deprivation and we can help them with this," says Szilagyi.
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