Child Protection North Macedonia Project #47948

Give Trauma-Informed Care to Orphans in Macedonia

by Lighthouse of Hope MK

Project Report | Dec 29, 2025
2025 Thank You and Recap

By Jennifer Naskov | Executive Director

As we reflect on 2025, our hearts are full of gratitude for you!

Because of your generosity, Lighthouse of Hope MK has been able to continue providing vital therapy services to orphans with special needs in Bitola, Macedonia. Your support has helped the JOY Home children receive consistent, compassionate care that nurtures healing, builds skills, and restores hope where it is deeply needed.

Every therapy session, every reached milestone, and every precious smile is possible because you chose to give. Many of the children we serve face significant physical, emotional, and developmental challenges. Through your partnership, they are not facing those challenges alone. You are helping them experience dignity, encouragement, and the knowledge that their lives matter.

We wish you could see firsthand the progress your generosity facilitates. Please know that your gift is making a lasting impact, not only in the lives of these children, but also on the JOY Home team and the nurse-caregivers who walk alongside them.

2025: A Year of Consistency and Collaboration
Thanks to you, we’ve seen tremendous progress in our work with children and families in Bitola and beyond. Here are just a few highlights from the year:

High Medical School Partnership: Through our partnership with the High Medical School in Bitola, we welcomed nine physical therapy student interns who both volunteered their time and learned alongside our team, gaining hands-on experience while making a meaningful difference in the lives of our children.
In-Person Training and Seminars: Traci, a physical therapist with more than 25 years of experience, and Kelli, a professor of occupational therapy, traveled from the U.S. to spend an inspiring week providing hands-on training and seminars for our therapy team, strengthening skills that directly benefit our children.
Life-Changing Milestones: We saw so many first steps, goals reached (and surpassed), and mountains moved. One unforgettable moment this year was watching a three-year-old (pictured with the teddy bear), who has many health struggles and surgeries, learn to sit up independently for the very first time.
New Afternoon Shift Added: To better serve our school-aged children, we added a new Monday afternoon shift focused on academic support and cognitive therapies, meeting a growing and important need.
New Families: This year, five children from The JOY Home were placed with adoptive and foster families, an incredible gift that represents love, belonging, and new beginnings - and is why we do what we do!
Therapy Sessions Held: In 2025 alone, our team provided 2,425 physical therapy, play therapy, and life skills sessions - each one a step toward greater independence and joy.

Thank you for standing with us in 2025 and for being a light of hope to the most vulnerable. We are deeply grateful for your trust, your compassion, and your continued partnership.

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Sep 17, 2025
The JOY Home is back from Summer break!

By Jen Naskov | Executive Director

May 9, 2025
Spring is beautiful at The JOY Home

By Jen Naskov | Executive Director

Fixing the rocking chair

Hi friends!

We're busy with the work of play and loving every minute of it! I'm not sure who is happier - the kids or the therapists - that the weather is now warm enough that we can play outside! It's absolutely beautiful!

Here's a quick update about what we've been doing at The JOY Home this Spring:

We're very excited about our new partnership with the Physical Therapy Department of the University of St. Kliment Ohridski in Bitola.

Students who are studying physical and occupational therapies are visiting The JOY Home each week, with our new internship program. It's great to meet young adults who are excited about helping our kids reach their potential through play, exercise, and connection.

Speaking of play and connection, sometimes life skills are learned in the most interesting of ways. Like yesterday, when we were about to rock on the rocking chair, and H* and I realized that the rocking chair was a bit shaky. Imagine our surprise when we saw that some of the screws had become loose over time and use!

What a great opportunity to work together, exercise our fine motor skills, and fill a little one's "love bucket" with a whole bunch of "atta girl" and "wow, what a great helper you are!" She was so excited about being a big helper that she spent a good 15 min (after the screws were already tightened) just making sure everything was up to par. It was great fun - and a learning experience as well!

We've been focusing on fine motor skills a lot recently, as we try to prepare some of the children at The JOY Home for preschool and beyond. And we're super grateful for the gifts that some of our friends in America recently sent us for that purpose!

We're having a great time over here, at The JOY Home! Hope you have an awesome rest of the week. Sending big hugs and smiles from beautiful Bitola!

PT interns helping out

Fine motor skills & color matching

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