Berkat hepls us Europeans be people with open hearts.
Berkat tries not to only help but also establish relations with people who find themselves in a dificult situation. It does not substitute but complements work of humanitarian and other organisation. Berkat does not want create any dependence of people on help from outside. On the contrary, Berkat motivates them and supports them in their effort to help „themselves“ while using creativity and traditional cultural skillls, to the highest possible extent. The Berkat organisation was founded in the Ingush region (Ingušsko) to support the children's social welfare institution in Grozny. The impulse to establish the civic association Berkat in Bohemia arose from efforts of people around Petra Procházková, one of the institution's cofounders, and members of the informal association SOS Committee for Chechnya to continue their work and futher develop established contacts. With its projects based on individual help, support to communities and social enterprising in Chechnya, Afghanistan and the Czech Republic, Berkat offers possibilities to transform compassion into conrete help. Berkat is a heterogeneous group of people who, together, invest in better relationships and beneficial changes. The aim is not only to help others. The aim is also to discover one's own life and cultural perspectives through this assistance. Berkat is not a duty. It is a chance to grasp responsibility for oneself and the world we live in.
Country Community Centre Rakovice