About the Charity

The Charity is working towards reaching out to communities and families which live in poverty. In Hungary Social Services are not able to ensure development in empoverished families, social support hardly meets their basic needs (if at all). In order to stop their situation deteriorating, we provide support for individuals and their families – mainly children – who might need physical, emotional, moral or financial support. Education gets great emphasis in this process. Children from these empoverished families benefit from mentoring at all stages of their development. The above tasks are united within a programme, called Tanoda. Its aims are outlined below.

Uphill Tanoda

THE AIMS OF THE PROGRAMME

Within this programme we treat each individual case in a complex manner, as we not only aim to
educate the child in a certain area of need, but strive to assist the individual in the formation of their
own self image, sense of responsibility and the ability to lead their own life in the long run. This is
not a simple, “quick-fix” task.
In order to achieve the goals set, clearly-defined tasks need to be identified to work towards, such
as:
– teach the child how to solve problems
– teach them learning skills and to prepare them for entry examinations
– help children acquire a healthy level of self-worth and the improvement of self-esteem
– teach them how to be self-sufficient and take responsibility for their actions
– help them overcome past inhibitions
– support them in the preparation to be able to face important decisions in their life (such
as choice of career)
– the promotion of social acceptance – that of different cultures and customs within
society

In order to achieve the goals identified, it is necessary to work out a so-called study plan, which is
based on the individual and their needs, as each child has their own learning style and their level of
knowledge differs individually. Their life situation and their mental state may also show great
variations. Teachers prepare ‘development plans’, tailored to each individual in order to map out the
type and quality of work that needs to be done. This usually corresponds with the material the pupil
will be taught at school according to the National Curriculum in the next few months.
Our teachers at the Tanoda are encouraged not only to give ‘first aid’ when it comes to the
difficulties of a pupil’s performance at school, but to help the child improve their skills at reading,
their ability to use maps, dictionaries, graphs and diagrams – in other words, to help them learn how
to use the tools that assist them in acquiring knowledge set out in the Curriculum.

Our Proposal (accessible to everybody at the Tanoda on site) outlines the methods and principles our teachers, social workers and volunteers need to apply during their work with the public. The above listed gives the reader an insight into how these methods and principles are applied in practice.

Results

There are reasons to suggest that our pupils’ performance at school has improved. At the Tanoda
they are taught how to learn, their sense of achievement has increased and they continue to learn
that it is important to dedicate time and effort into their studies in order to achieve what they want
to achieve. Their attitude towards work and studying has changed for the better. They do not hang
around in the streets, but find something to do at the Tanoda. Children are happy to go to this
institution, as they are given attention, they are catered for and their questions get answered,
solutions are sought for their problems.

P.s. Tanoda best translates as ‘Helping School’, where those pupils are helped who might find it hard
to keep the pace of education at mainstream schools, not necessarily because of intellectual abilities (or the lack of it).

This programme, being quite complex, is very costly. The charity needs to apply and re-apply for funds and sometimes these funds only allow spenditure for certain operational needs, but not others. Therefore, the charity is grateful for all kinds of donations, not only financial. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us via email on busak_erzsi@freemail.hu or enikoszucs@aol.com (English only, please)!

International Transfer

– HUF: HU45 1070 0323 4327 5108 5110 0005
– EUR: HU03 1070 0323 4327 5108 5000 0005
– USD: HU79 1070 0323 4327 5108 5010 0002