In 1995, the foundation’s founder, Inger Ellen Nicolaisen, came into contact with an orphanage in Lithuania called “Globos Namai” by chance. She had sent some boxes of shampoo to the country and received several photographs of children. Small children lying in their beds with the shampoo bottles she had sent as if they were teddy bears.
The pictures affected Inger Ellen so much that she immediately decided to do more for the children at the orphanage. Together with her eldest daughter, Linda, she traveled to Lithuania. The country, which had seceded from the Soviet Union barely five years earlier, was poor and conditions were miserable.
At the orphanage, they met 32 insecure children living in poor conditions where the youngest children had not yet celebrated their first birthday.
During the visit, which lasted several days, renovation of the building and the purchase of necessary equipment, clothes, toys, curtains and new bedding with a teddy bear motif were initiated. The children were taken on excursions and visited a market for the very first time.
The visit was the first in a long series of visits to the orphanage. Together with selected employees, Inger Ellen visited the orphanage every year, wrapped Christmas presents for each child and sent box after box of both clothes and toys to the children.
Many of the children also had the opportunity to come to Norway for a summer vacation where many employees contributed, all wanting to help give the children hope – and faith in a better future.
The “A hand to children” foundation was established on 15.
November in 2000.
Today, the foundation is working on several projects, all with the aim of helping to give children hope – and faith in a better future.
