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House of Opportunity Programme

Preventing human trafficking and exploitation

Abandoned, Vulnerable, Exploited

Tens of thousands of children are abandoned every year in Southeast Europe. Thousands still live in institutions of one kind or another, where they grow up unprepared for the time they have to leave. With no one and nowhere to turn to, many young state and foster care leavers fall into the clutches of criminals and human traffickers – condemned to lives of degradation and exploitation.

Protected, Supported, Empowered

We aim to transform the lives of these vulnerable and marginalised young people by providing them with places in our specialised small group homes – which we call Houses of Opportunity. The House of Opportunity Programme empowers these young people to break out of poverty and lead successful independent lives – preventing them from being trafficked, or drawn into a life of crime and homelessness, at risk of abandoning their own children in the future.

Video introduction to the House of Opportunity Programme.

How Houses of Opportunity work

At its simplest level, the Programme provides three things:
Somewhere safe to stay    Good people to be with    Something useful to do

The House of Opportunity is a residential training programme that equips vulnerable young people with the skills they need to live successful, independent lives through:

House parents provide each resident with individual care and support in a small, family style home.

Training in healthcare, cooking, budgeting and IT – enabling residents to learn essential life skills.

Education support. A complete education is vital for finding employment and building a secure future.

Providing training and employment experience through local employers or our Social Enterprises.

Krasi’s story

Krasi’s childhood was far from ideal – bereaved, abandoned into care and left to find his own way in life with no guidance, he probably would have ended up on the street, struggling to survive and at very high risk of being exploited and shut off from the possibility of a normal life. Here he tells the story of how the House of Opportunity Programme has totally changed his life.

For Krasi, life could have been very different. Most orphanage leavers have no money, little education, no family and no idea about life outside an institution. With few options, many fall into crime and prostitution or become victims of human traffickers.

House of Opportunity in numbers

No. of young people currently in Houses of Opportunity
No. of House residents currently in employment
No. of House residents currently in education
Confidence of young people entering programme
Confidence of 120+ surveyed House of Opportunity Programme entrants in their ability to handle independence on a scale 0-10.
Confidence of young people graduating programme
Confidence of 120+ surveyed House of Opportunity Programme graduates in their ability to handle independence on a scale 0-10.

More numbers and statistics from Houses of Opportunity

Experience of employment before entering House of Opportunity
Employment experience of 204 young people entering House of Opportunity.
Employment levels of former House of Opportunity residents
Employment status of 64 House of Opportunity leavers one year after leaving the programme.
Income levels of House of Opportunity leavers
Do House of Opportunity leavers (64) make enough money to live independently one year after leaving the programme?
Where do our House of Opportunity leavers live now?
Where 64 House of Opportunity leavers are living one year after exiting the programme.

House of Opportunity Funding Partners

We are grateful to receive support for the House of Opportunity Programme from:

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Would your organisation support the House of Opportunity and help to prevent modern slavery?

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Would you partner with us to help provide brighter futures for vulnerable young people?