The Relationship a BUDDY Volunteer Builds with a Child from a Children’s Home is Forever
Event manager, producer at Divadlo Stoka, full-time wife, and mother. These roles are embodied by a young woman from Bratislava who decided to share a piece of her happiness with a child from a children’s home. For almost three years, she has been meeting Zuzka, who lost her family overnight. She shows her how to be more independent, how to choose new shoes, and how to ask the salesperson for a different size. She is her friend. She is her BUDDY volunteer. Meet Ľudka Braun.
A Hipster Among the Blocks of Flats
We arranged to meet Ľudka at her favorite café, Háj, in Petržalka, where she usually meets Zuzka.
It's a pleasant holiday. I drive slowly past one gray tower block after another, holding a navigation device to guide me through this maze of apartment buildings, terraces, and overpasses.
Each apartment block looks similar, yet they conceal countless stories.
As I search for the right turn, the hum of cars and the occasional clatter of a chassis hitting a pothole accompany me.
Suddenly, a green oasis nestled in the inner courtyard appears before me. The noise from the street fades, replaced by the distant chatter of children playing on the playground. My eyes are drawn to a small café with a terrace in the center of this tranquil island.
When I step inside, the rich aroma of roasted coffee and fresh homemade cakes greets me.
The Chaotic Introduction
Ľudka snaps me out of my daydream.
We introduce ourselves. Right away, she tells me, at lightning speed, how she forgot her phone in the stroller and is now trying in vain to contact her husband using the waitress's phone.
I only understand the urgency of her situation when I learn that without her phone, Ľudka cannot let dozens of theatergoers into the Stoka Theater hall tonight.
I sit on the terrace, sipping a frothy cappuccino.
For a moment, I lose myself in the unusual stillness surrounding this place.
But soon, Ľudka arrives with coffee and cake. She quickly dashes off to grab some sugar, saying she wants to give me her full attention. In a flash, she’s back, skillfully sliding onto the bench.
"Let’s do this," she says, slightly out of breath but with a warm smile. Apologizing for the chaotic introduction, she takes her first sip of coffee.
I turn on the recorder.
A Theater Devotee
"Who am I?" she repeats my question aloud.
"I’m the mother of an almost two-year-old son, Benjamin. And in February, it looks like I’ll become a mother of two," she says, stroking her small belly under her dress and instinctively knocking on the table for good luck.
Ľudka studied theater management, drawn by her love for the stage. After graduating, she became an event manager, which allowed her to channel her creativity, energy, and joy for working with people.
"But I didn’t leave the theater," she emphasizes. For the past eight years, she has been assisting the Stoka Theater with everything they need. She manages their social media, creates newsletters, communicates with visitors, helps with grant applications, physically sells tickets before performances, and lets audiences into the hall.
Just like she’ll do tonight.
Although, without her phone, she might have to seat them without scanning their tickets.
She also works as a production assistant for another company hosted at Studio L+S. But this chapter is slowly coming to an end.
"I’m too old for it now. Or maybe I just have too many kids, both at home and on the road," she laughs, describing her tasks, which she carries out despite the modest pay.
"You can’t do theater for the money. Theater is always done for love," she explains passionately, throwing up her hands for emphasis.
Philanthropy Without Tinsel
I ask Ľudka why she decided to join the BUDDY initiative amidst her many activities, offering her time and attention to a child from a children’s home.
"I'm returning karma," she replies without hesitation. "I'm doing well. So, I wanted to help someone else feel a little better. I wanted to show them that the world can be a nice place," she adds, sipping her coffee.
She shares her thoughts with simplicity, devoid of excessive sentimentality.
Her words are heartfelt, spoken as she feels them.
With a smile, she playfully offers me a chocolate biscuit.
An Unusual Blind Date
After completing the required training and psychological tests for the BUDDY program, Ľudka met Zuzka for the first time in early 2020.
Zuzka, now a fifteen-year-old bright young girl, tragically lost her family three years ago. Overnight, she found herself in a children’s home—a center for children and families—in an unfamiliar environment surrounded by strangers. She withdrew into herself, responding to the world with one-word answers.
Unlike Zuzka, many children in care homes actually have parents but cannot be cared for due to various circumstances. Zuzka’s case was different.
She was completely alone.
Ľudka admits she was extremely nervous before their first meeting. The program coordinators had prepared her for a range of scenarios. "Even though Zuzka had voluntarily signed up for the BUDDY program, we didn’t know how she’d react when introduced to me. Would she ignore me? Get up and leave?" she recalls, her eyebrows knitting together in memory.
Her face naturally reveals the spectrum of emotions she feels as she speaks.
"But it was a million times better than I had imagined," she smiles, exhaling loudly, as if reliving that first meeting. "Of course, it was awkward—like a blind date your friends set up for you. But I was so happy when Zuzka talked to me, even if it was shyly. She even laughed at one point," she recalls the beginnings of what has now become a nearly three-year-long BUDDY friendship.
Plans Are Planned, Fools Rejoice
The two had grand ideas for activities together. They wanted to try aerobics, go hiking, or binge-watch Harry Potter movies at home.
"That was February 2020. And then everything shut down a month later," Ľudka says bitterly.
Their communication moved online.
But limited internet access, lockdown restrictions, and Zuzka’s often-lost mobile phones—mostly lacking data or credit—made it hard to stay in touch.
"It’s been almost three years since we met, and two and a half of those were during a pandemic," Ľudka says, her tone turning serious.
She drinks her coffee and cuts a piece of cake, chewing slowly and thoughtfully.
I give her space.
COVID Left a Mark on Us All
"I was afraid our relationship would fade," Ľudka admits. "That’s why it was so important to me that Zuzka knew I was there for her, through good and bad."
I give what was once given to me.
Despite the challenges, they managed to share beautiful moments. Ľudka took Zuzka to Trenčín Castle and the Bojnice Viewpoint. They explored Christmas markets, strolled through the city, and admired paintings in the National Gallery and the Nedbalka Gallery. They went to the cinema, shopped, enjoyed ice cream, and walked for hours—sometimes with baby Benjamin, born in December 2020.
"Trenčín Castle completely captivated her. It was one of the first castles she ever visited. At her age, I had already visited what felt like 350,000 castles with my parents," she says with mock indignation.
Her voice softens as she reflects, "It made me appreciate how lucky I was to have parents who 'dragged' me on trips since I was little. Sometimes, the smallest things—like being born into a loving family—make all the difference," she muses.
Her face lights up as she sees her husband in the distance, maneuvering the stroller with one hand while waving her phone with the other.
"The evening performance at the theater is saved," she says triumphantly.
"My Matúš is amazing—a caring husband and a kind, helpful father. I’m glad I can show Zuzka an example of a loving family and a healthy relationship. Hopefully, one day, she can apply it to her own life."
The Importance of Attention
I ask what makes her meetings with Zuzka special.
"Individual attention," Ľudka answers immediately.
"In a children’s home, one caregiver is responsible for about ten kids. Giving focused attention to just one child is beyond human capability," she explains.
"During our meetings, I try to give Zuzka my undivided attention. I ask her about everything—school, friends, teachers, her boyfriend, camp—things she might typically share at home."
She confesses, "At first, I was frustrated that I was the only one asking questions. I wondered if Zuzka was interested in me at all. But I realized that having someone focus solely on her is incredibly rare. It doesn’t happen often that someone devotes so much time to just her, truly listens, and cares about her experiences. At those moments, my life isn’t important—and that’s okay."
Teaching Simple Life Skills
Beyond friendship, Ľudka helps Zuzka with everyday tasks. She teaches her to Google information for school projects, call the school kitchen staff, or consider others’ opinions. Together, they shop, where Ľudka shows her how to choose shoes, ask for a different size, and trust her decisions.
"It feels natural to me. My parents always took me shopping, checking if shoes were comfortable, pressing my toes, and making me walk around the aisle. If a child hasn’t experienced this, even simple tasks like buying sneakers can feel completely unfamiliar," she explains.
A Sisterly Bond
I ask her how she views their relationship.
"I feel like Zuzka is my younger sister. You don’t choose your siblings; they’re given to you. That’s how it feels with Zuzka. We didn’t meet by chance; we were brought together. Like a sibling, you just love them—for who they are," she says, her voice full of emotion.
She recalls an early BUDDY workshop where a girl asked, "When does this program end?"
"The relationship a BUDDY volunteer builds with a child never truly ends. You wouldn’t say to a friend, 'We’ve known each other for four years; that’s enough.' We’re here for each other. Always. And we will be. Forever."
As the clock ticks, Ľudka finishes her now-cold coffee in one gulp.
She has to run—but it doesn’t matter.
Everything that needed to be said has been said.
And she’s off—to the theater.
The name Zuzka was intentionally fabricated to protect the privacy of a minor.
Author: Simona Lučkaničová
Photographs: Paulína Ščepková, Marek Švančara