The main objective of the project was to battle the social exclusion of the youngsters, who are leaving the mental care institution. The way, how society acts towards the young persons with indicated mental problems, puts them in a disadvantaged position.

The objective was to inspire young disadvantaged people to take actions and to improve their situation themselves. By experiencing working in the youth organization in the international team, the young people after mental care would discover their strengths and weaknesses. They met the Latvian, American and French volunteers and youth workers, who shared their stories, how they have overcome various problems. This experience broadened the horizons of young people and helped them to reintegrate in the society, to get a job or to continue volunteering in a long-term project. Social exclusion of young disadvantaged people, who are leaving the mental care institution is one of the biggest problems in Europe. Therefore, our goals fit together with the goals of Erasmus plus - to strive for equity and inclusion. We want our youth to be active, positive and take the problems in their own hands. All they need is an inspiration, a positive impulse. As for our organizations it is very important to continue working together with FICE Austria for disadvantaged youth and to develop our cooperation, learn from each other, exchange the good practices and the experience.

Our project, which involved a month-long short term European Voluntary Service of 6 young Austrian people, who recently left the mental care institution, was designed to help them to adopt and re-enter the social reality. The project provided adjustable activities to every volunteer, with the support of experienced, live-in youth workers, with personal volunteering experience.

Volunteers were assisting the native English teacher in English club lessons in The State Penitentiary of Adolescents and in The State Correctional School of Naukseni, they also helped to maintain the social entrepreneurship project of our organization - “Futurumartis” the support project for young disadvantaged artists as well as the Green thinking workshop in the premises of “Jaunatne par”,  in The State Penitentiary of Adolescents and in schools of Cesis and Cesis region. Also, they introduced with themselves, with their culture and country.

For many years our organization has been sending and hosting disabled volunteers in our organization. Therefore, we know, how difficult is to find a placement and appropriate project for the volunteer with special needs. Also, finding an understanding and experienced support person is not that easy.

We are very happy that with the help of FICE Austria, we could host the volunteers who need guidance and support, who would not be able to apply themselves and compete with the advantaged volunteers in Erasmus+ and Solidarity Corps.

Our experience in this project proves us once again, it is necessary to plan the project for the specific group of disabilities. It is also necessary to have a strong Sending organization, such as FICE Austria, who has available, ongoing support during the sending stage of the project. Only because of the great work of the sending organization which, identified the possible participants, talked to them individually and new how to make them interested in our project, this project was successful.

Our organization can state that, because we developed a lot of friendships. We are still friends with the administrative and support persons in FICE Austria and all 6 volunteers. We are exchanging mails and pictures and have an idea for the future projects in Solidarity Corps.

This project definitely has diminished social exclusion of young people, who are leaving the mental care institution in Austria and in Latvia. Our communities witnessed, how young disadvantaged people are able to take action in their own hands, when they are properly guided and supported. Young disadvantaged participants raised their self-esteem, by discovering their talents and by improving their social skills. This project gave a positive example for other young people, who are leaving the mental care institution in Austria and in Latvia to become more active. It risen the level of interest of participation of young disabled people in the EVS and other social processes. It will also inspire the other organizations working with EVS to host young disabled volunteers with mental disabilities.