"The state makes the mistake of feeding a lot of people for free, we will never get rid of the inadaptables this way," says László Sümegh, founder and head of the Šance Project
Your office is located in Prague's Ve Smečkách street, which is known for its rich nightlife and the activities from which you are trying to keep your clients away, i.e. prostitution, drug use, etc. Did you locate the headquarters of your project here on purpose?
It has to be said that our clients are a little different in that they don't really want to prostitute themselves and do other nefarious things, but they simply have no choice. For example, they are thrown out of their homes from hour to hour. Our clientele is made up of all different walks of life, but 70 percent of them are from orphanages and broken homes. Of all our clients, 40 per cent are sexually abused, and this abuse often takes place within the family or in institutions. Because of this, they often run away to the streets and then get involved in drugs or prostitution.
What is the composition of your clients? Are they only people over the age of 18?
We also cater to younger people. Because there are people much younger than that running around on the streets. But by law, we can only take care of young people 15 and older. But it's not rare to see younger people on the street. However, we have no right to ask them for ID. So if they tell us they're 16 when they're 13, we just have to accept it. Our primary concern is that they don't stay on the streets, which is a very lengthy process.
You must have a lot of interesting stories?
Of course! Often they are very interesting fates and unusual things. For example, we had one client who was terribly disappointed. He left our centre as a man, but came in the next day looking almost like Dolly Buster. It was his reaction to being disappointed in another person and not being able to get it over his heart other than by escaping into the role of the other gender. He stayed on the streets for a long time and when a policeman woke him up one day, he got scared and bit him in an affectation. They ruled it grievous bodily harm and he ended up in Bohnice. He's still in a mental institution.
How do you work with these people?
First, I walk with them, or we sit down and talk. Until I find the trigger for his problems. Why did he turn to prostitution, drugs and alcohol? I also try to accompany them to all the doctors - dentists, sexologists, venereologists, etc. I accompany some clients from the beginning to cremation. I have already arranged with clients who are seriously ill and there is no one to bury them that I will personally bury them. That's what I promised them, and a promise is what we should keep. At the same time, we should only promise what we can keep.
We also visit the aforementioned mental hospitals with our clients, or go on trips to the zoo. Although these are often older clients. Age plays no role here, because such people are often stuck in their development. Because if you hear all your life that you are stupid and that you can't do anything, you accept it as your own and your development stops. Then you try to get away from it all, and many people run away to Prague, which usually kills them.
We try to accompany all our clients from the beginning to the end. We guide them to family life and not to be alone and to accept things and realities with perspective. Our motto is: "It is not an art to give someone in need food, but to teach them how to earn their food."
What about the parents? Do you also work with the families of the people involved?
If the parents are willing, we work with them. But that's really rare, because all parents have certain ideas about what their children should do and how they should behave, and it often happens that they force their children to do something. This, of course, brings with it depression and stress. Often these situations occur, for example, when children are homosexual and the parents do not accept this.
Are there a lot of gay men and lesbians among your clients?
Out of 100 clients, there are usually 10 who are genuinely homosexual on the inside. However, in my opinion, people should not be divided into homosexual or heterosexual. There is only sex as such, which changes with age and life situation. In my opinion, sexuality is forever in flux, like everything else. Humanity has had problems since all sorts of pigeonholing has been introduced. There is sex and that's it. An even bigger problem is the singling out. If you don't want to be singled out, don't be singled out. Many people have a problem acting the way they feel because they are afraid of being pigeonholed.
How long does it take to work with clients before they stand on their own two feet?
It always depends on how long they have been hurt and how long they have suffered. That determines the time it takes to get back to normal life. But it also depends on the mentality of the person and how strong they are inside. For some people it is enough to walk with them a few times and discuss the problem, for others it is a long run.
What do you see as the biggest problem and how could these unhappy life stories be prevented?
It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't artificially cultivated.
What do you mean?
I have to say that the city administration is doing everything it can to make Prague look like one big cesspool and amusement park for tourists. Where are the billions from tourism? Everybody is fighting for the political trough, almost nobody is fighting for the citizens.
Can you be more specific?
It is necessary to focus on good social policy, but not social policy in the sense of "feeding people for nothing". Let me give you an example from the ground. In the summer, there are a lot of people in the city and I tell them that in three or four months' time, the leaves will fall from the tree, it will rain and it will be cold. And they tell me that what am I talking about, that the city or the state will take care of them anyway. For such people are provided with free food, housing, etc. The state literally tells them to do nothing and just enjoy it.
It's the same with the drug scene. A lot of people will say to me, "László, if we weren't pampered like this, do you think I'd be getting high?" Even stuff, new injections, etc. People who go to work then have to pay taxes, rent, social, health, and literally with their money they feed these existences that are of no use to society. Imagine that when something happens to such people, an ambulance takes them to the hospital and connects them to the very same machines that people who pay taxes and health insurance are connected to. This is how society works in an unhealthy way. Why should maladjusted people do anything when they will be just as well off as those who work from morning to night? Everyone knows this, but they are afraid to change it because human rights, etc. But what human rights? Observe human and civil duties first and then you can ask for some rights! It shouldn't work that I don't have to do anything and I have a right to everything. We can't educate people in this regard.
Editor Jan Witek took a convenient walk through Prague with László SümeghPhoto: Juan Calderón
What about prison? Isn't that a good prevention? That you can be arrested for misdemeanours?
Current crime prevention is about a quick trip to Pankration. Unfortunately, it's the same with the homeless. The solution is not to push the homeless out of a place. You have to offer them another place to live. Otherwise, they'll settle somewhere else again. But first of all, you have to remove the trigger. Unfortunately, Prague has no so-called prevention zone. The only city in the Czech Republic that does is Ostrava. Previously, prostitutes used to be only in Perlovka, but the city complained that this street was a disgrace to Prague. Then Perlovka was closed down and these people were dispersed all over Prague. So they just spread drugs and crime.
As for the prison, every person who is in prison is paid for with our money. That doesn't have much of an educational function. Clients often look forward to going to prison, where I also accompany them as needed. They see it as a rehabilitation centre with a daily regime, regular meals, warmth and a roof over their heads... Why don't we find work for such people and try to educate them somehow? They just giggle in the palm of their hand. And if someone has the will and you want to help them find a job, you can't do that either. We found a job for a client who used to be in prison. He was supposed to be a dump guard, but what was the first thing they asked for for the position? A clean criminal record... This is civilization going against itself...
What's the most common problem your clients face?
I'm not gonna talk about alcohol or drugs. We need to get to the bottom of this. Addictions to these things always have a trigger. The trigger is usually that you're dissatisfied and something is missing in your life. That's why you're looking for something to find support in to help you survive the situation. It's that trigger that I try to dig out of all people and work with.
I'm told that in addition to doctors, psychological support and other things, you try to help people primarily through occupational therapy. Can you give me an idea of that?
Yes, I can. In the occupational therapy at the House of Chance, we try to integrate them into society. First of all, we find out what kind of education they have, or in what field. Then we find out if he knows the activity and wants to do it. Then we help him to find a job in this or another field. We also work with recruitment agencies. For example, we have partnerships with various hotels, etc., where our clients always start at a lower level and can work their way up to a very high level. The possibilities are endless, you just have to know how to fight.
How long have you been doing this business?
It's been 25 years.
How many people have you saved in those 25 years?
I don't have a count. A lot of them. I remember a client named Robin. He was brought to us by a probation officer from Prague 10. The kid was prostituting himself and sleeping with men. He was so ashamed of it, he didn't want to be around people or our other clients. It was a long and very difficult process. One day I caught him and gave him a good shake and told him whether he really wanted to spend time in Pankrác prison or whether he wanted a real change. He now works in one of our partner hotels, has a child and leads a nice life. There are plenty of similar cases and I'm glad for that. What more do you want than for people to pay taxes, work or do business and be useful to society?
TIP: You can also support the Chance Project. Just purchase any of the items on their e-shop HERE. You will help street people get a job and help them get back to a normal life.
