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Social responsibility Basketball Power program, funded by the Kazickas Family Foundation, works in Juvenile Detention Centers of Lithuania.
“They are respectful, curious, energetic. Very athletic. Tall and short. Shy and outgoing. They are couple dozen of sixteen to eighteen year olds. Regular kids. Except that “Basketball Power” coach with occasional guests visit them once a week in a fenced in, soviet style (and hardly renovated since) building which serves as a Juvenile Detention Facility in Veliucionys, outside Vilnius.
It takes you one time, to dare leave your comfort zone, enter through the facility’s door, introduce yourself, shake their hands and look at their eyes; exchange conversations to at least a few of them, and their faces do not leave your mind... Something is not right. What are they doing here, confessing to you how much they want to leave and reassuring you that it is not that bad now. Telling you about their mistakes, their family and life in general… They all look straight into your eyes. They engage in a conversation again and again. A bit with curiosity, more with hope…”
KFF thanks Mrs. Jadvyga Svolkiene, Deputy director of education of Veliucionys Facility, for embracing Basketball Power program, for great appreciation of its work, and for rooting for the facility’s boys. KFF thanks Fr. Antanas Saulaitis, SJ for visiting the boys and for sharing great stories of his life among Indians of Amazon in Brazil.