Dear Friends and Supporters,
Just before the summer break, we’d like to send you a little greeting along with the first chapter of our “Stories from Lithuania.”
Today, we’re starting by giving our young people from Lithuania a chance to speak and share their stories. We’ve been supporting many of them since they were very young and have been able to follow their journeys so far. This has led to close bonds and friendships.
This will give you a better understanding of these young people’s personal life stories and their own perspectives on the support we provide.
In today’s first installment of “Stories from Lithuania,” Otmar Debald reports on a special project: the opening of a hair salon
A Dream Becomes Reality – Mentoring That Changes Lives
This is the story of Alek from Janusa, whom I’ve known for almost ten years. His childhood was marked by difficult experiences and trauma. Despite this, he never gave up. He completed an apprenticeship as a hairdresser and developed the dream of one day opening his own salon.
When I met him in Lithuania last September, he told me about this dream. What he lacked wasn’t motivation or skill—but rather startup capital and experience in starting a business. So I offered to help him along the way.
I financed the entire setup of his salon through a loan so that he would have the opportunity to build his own business. At the same time, I served as his mentor. Together, we developed a business plan, held numerous video conferences, and worked on topics such as financing, marketing, organization, and business management.
Then came the big day in November: Janusas opened his salon , “Jazz & Cuts,” in a small town north of Vilnius. The salon’s name also hints at the fact that it was meant to be a special place. Janusas wanted to create a space where people could not only get their hair cut, but also meet one another, strike up conversations, and feel at ease. A gathering place for the community—modern, open, and with a warm, personal atmosphere.
Today, just a few months later, Janusas is already able to make a living from his business. His base of regular customers is growing steadily, positive reviews are spreading, and even sales of skincare products are doing well. He’s already thinking about opening a second location.
But I’m also particularly impressed by the fact that Janusas regularly updates me on how his company is doing—not just the successes, but the challenges as well.
Right now, his main focus is on finding qualified employees. In addition, due to new health and safety regulations, he may have to find a new location for his salon. He is also gaining valuable experience in financial management and is working to further professionalize his business operations.
That is precisely where the true value of our mentoring project lies.
Entrepreneurship doesn’t mean that everything works out right from the start. It means identifying problems, developing solutions, and growing through them. And that is exactly the path Janusas is taking with great dedication and remarkable openness.
For me personally, this project is a great example of how our work makes a difference.
We don’t just help people through difficult times. We create opportunities. We support young people as they take responsibility for their own lives and make their dreams come true.
Let’s hear from Janusas again:
“My journey isn’t over yet. There’s still a lot to do—both professionally and personally. But for the first time in my life, I feel real hope and see a future that I can shape with my own hands.”
It is the personal connections we have with the young people we support that make our team’s work so special. Every small success and every moment of joy these young people experience motivates us to continue working for their future with dedication and warmth. This is only possible because we have you by our side as friends and supporters—a heartfelt “Aciu” for that.
Would you like to learn more about our work, the young people, and their beautiful homeland, Lithuania?
Then we warmly invite you to join us on this year’s sponsorship trip.
Sponsorship Trip to Lithuania, August 27–30, 2026
The Children and Youth Services team wishes you a relaxing and sunny summer and would like to express our sincere thanks for your loyalty.