About the Foundation

We helped Erik’s family, now together let’s help others

In Slovenia there are too many children who, due to lack of material resources are deprived of many, even basic encouragements to lead a dignified life. They are trapped in a difficult and tragic situation in which there is no space to relax or laugh, let alone suffice for a positive and healthy development. In the 'Let Them Dream' – Danilo Türk Foundation, we listened to the shocking story of the not yet 13-year-old Erik, and together with other donors from the project ‘Child Sponsorship in Slovenia’ we helped him and his family out of their current situation.

Erik, together with his family – his 4-year-old sister, unemployed mother with a back injury and his epileptic father – lived, until recently, in a damp and mouldy rented flat. They hadn’t been able to get by solely on their father’s income as a physical labourer - unable to pay the bills, rent, buy food or even any basic necessities. They could spend up to €5 a day, so their mother had to count every cent when going shopping. Despite this, they often couldn’t make the money stretch... “We often didn’t have any thing to eat and we could only dream of eating fruit. For breakfast they would have a slice of bread and fry up an egg, if we had one... Then I would try to keep them busy to keep their minds off food,” said Erik’s mother.

But the lack of food was just the tip of the iceberg for the teenager Erik. “All my clothes smelled of damp, at school I sit alone because hardly anyone wants to hang out with me. Everyone makes fun of me because we don’t have any money and my clothes smell bad...” said Erik. His mother continued, “He couldn’t take the pressure any longer and told her, ‘Mum, I don’t want to live any more’...”

No child should ever have to go through this experience or even think of this.

There was no chance of Erik’s family being able to move into another flat, one that would be suitable to live in, as they did not have the money to pay even the first rent or deposit, let alone furnish it and buy other necessities. The family could not reuse anything from their old home as everything had been ruined by the damp and mould. Right after their story was aired on the radio station Val 202, we at the 'Let Them Dream' – Danilo Türk Foundation paid for the deposit which was the first rent payment, bought furniture for the children’s rooms and kitchen, and with the help of a few other companies, we were able to provide some of the most basic necessities.

We know that many other good people were touched by the story and responded by selflessly coming to their aid. Together we were able to provide the family with the basic necessities for a more dignified life.

So help us in helping Erik and others like him overcome their hardships, poverty, sadness and social exclusion; let us give them back what they deserve - a happy and carefree life.

  • send a text message with the word BOTER to 1919 and donate €1 to the fund ‘Child Sponsorship in Slovenia’;
  • donate an amount of your choice to the 'Let Them Dream' – Danilo Türk Foundation, account no.: 03100-1002363471 at the SKB bank (purpose code: CHAR; reference: SI 00 115, purpose: Botrstvo) 'Let Them Dream' – Danilo Türk Foundation guarantees that the entire amount donated, without any deductions, will go towards the ‘Child Sponsorship in Slovenia’ programme.

Contact details
for donations

Pustimo jim sanje
Fundacija Danila Türka

Linhartova ulica 51,
1000 Ljubljana

Current Account:
03100-1002363471
SKB bank

Tax Number:
11110376

E-mail:
info@fundacija-danilaturka.org

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