The year within the Older Brother, Older Sister program began with an important step. The Addiction Prevention Competence Centre and the War Childhood Museum signed a long-term Memorandum of Cooperation, formally establishing significant support for children and young people involved in the Older Brother, Older Sister program. Through this Memorandum, the War Childhood Museum provides free admission for mentor–volunteer pairs participating in the program, thereby further strengthening their role in the process of empowering children and supporting their healthy development.
The Older Brother, Older Sister program is based on long-term, friendly, and supportive relationships between children and adult volunteers, with the aim of providing stability, emotional support, and positive life experiences. Partnerships with cultural institutions such as this one play a particularly important role, as they create opportunities for children to learn, develop empathy, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of the social context in which they are growing up.
As an institution dedicated to preserving memories of childhoods marked by war, the War Childhood Museum clearly demonstrates through this cooperation that culture is not only a space for remembrance, but also an active ally in building a safer and more empathetic society. Providing free admission to mentoring pairs sends a strong message that children and their mental and emotional well-being are a shared responsibility. This cooperation further highlights the importance of intersectoral collaboration in the fields of prevention and support for children and young people, and demonstrates how cultural institutions can play an active and socially responsible role in preventing risky behaviors and strengthening protective factors among children.
The Addiction Prevention Competence Centre extends its sincere gratitude to the War Childhood Museum for recognizing the value of the Older Brother, Older Sister program, for its openness to cooperation, and for its continued commitment to children and young people. This support represents a significant contribution to creating a safer, more inclusive, and more humane environment for children’s development.
