A year ago, the humanitarian and development organization ADRA Slovakia celebrated its 25th anniversary. These days it is going through several new project and staff challenges. Apart from natural changes (due to maternity leave) in the almost all-female team, there has also been a change in the post of director(s).
After more than five years he left ADRA Slovakia current director - Daniel Kaba. It was he who significantly professionalised the organisation in the past and contributed to the specification and specialisation of individual departments. He started the programme of training and sending volunteers to low-income countries in two schemes - SlovakAid and EU Aid volunteers. At the same time, as a trained lawyer supported the establishment of programmes assistance to the needy directly in Slovakia in the form of free legal aid; he was also involved in the establishment of the Crisis Intervention Team (KIT), which provides comprehensive assistance to victims of domestic and sexual violence.
During Kab's tenure the number of employees has increased and female employees in the Bratislava office from two to eleven. At the same time, the organisation is moving towards financial diversification in terms of the number and diversity of donors as well as access to funding. However, Daniel Kaba is not leaving the NGO sector for good, quite the opposite. He has decided to put his experience to good use as Executive Secretary Platforms of non-governmental development organisations, which represents three dozen similarly tuned non-profits (including ADRA Slovakia).
In June, ADRA Slovakia will start to fully operate its office new Director and Statutor Stanislav Bielik. František Kolesár will represent the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors. Both are from CASD, which is inextricably linked to ADRA. ADRA Slovakia is part of the international network of organizations ADRA (Adventist Development and Relief Association), with which it actively cooperates.
A new function has also been allocated in the organisation's structure Programme Director. This will be held by Branislav Strečanský, who served as a state advisor at the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport for almost a decade. However, what is even more beneficial and important for ADRA's needs, Mr. Strečanský is well versed in the African continent - for three years he worked for the respected international humanitarian organization Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders). Experience of leading people and projects in inhospitable terrain in Malawi, Sierra Leone or Mozambique, he and the ADRA team may soon translate this into new plans for development cooperation in sub-Saharan Africa. The ADRA network has a good awareness and partners there, so it would be worth returning again with a „climate smart“ project.
The first tasks facing the new director(s) this summer are: ensuring financial stability through continued diversification of resources and strengthening the visibility of the ADRA brand in Slovak society. They will also lead their team during the implementation of ongoing volunteer and consultancy programmes as well as new projects (humanitarian aid in Lebanon, human rights education in Slovakia, etc.).
We thank the current director for his work and commitment and wish him every success in his new position, where our paths will surely cross often. We wish the new directors a lot of energy and a positive response to new ideas as well as implemented initiatives.
Text: Boba M. Baluchová, ADRA Slovakia; Photo: ADRA Slovakia, archives of D.K. and B.S.
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