Socio-Educational Centre for Disabled People
The Day Centre was opened on the 30th November 2010 and it was the very first Day Centre for people with disabilities in the area of Moldova. The project was initiated under “The General Direction of Social Work and Child Protection Iasi” and was financed from European Funding.
The mission of the Centre is the social integration of disabled young people thus discouraging the isolation of these mentally and physically weak people from the wider community.
The Day Centre offers the following services:
- medical services;
- psychological support;
- psycho-pedagogical and educational services;
- quality social services;
- new methods of ergo therapy and different ways of spending quality time with other young people;
- recovery and socialising activities that promote social inclusion formentally ill people;
- different activities for developing their ability to live independent lives;
- Counselling and group support for the families of the beneficiaries.
The Day Centre has three occupational workshops: gardening; manufacturing different objects for interior decoration; handmade cards and a knitting workshop.
At present, there are 26 young disabled persons, aged between 21 and 33 years of age, with various psychological, neuro-physicaland mental illnesses at the Day Centre. They live with their families but for eight hours per day, Monday to Friday, they participate in the activities of the Day Centre. Mini buses collect them from various stops near their homes, transport them to the Centre and back home at the end of the day.
Each day at the Centre, the beneficiaries follow specific programs organised by fully trained and qualified instructors including a medical doctor, an educational psychologist and psychologist.Each student participates according to his/her ability or need.The beneficiary is served dinner each day at the centre and, under supervision, partake in tasks such as setting the tables, washing the dishes and cleaning the various areas. I am the psychologist at the Centre and I work with a wonderful team.
The multidisciplinary team of specialists also offer families of beneficiaries psychological support, counselling and pedagogical advise to assist them in following a special program at home with their youngsters.
Our programme includes preparation of our beneficiaries to find a job. In the past year we were successful in securing employment for three young beneficiaries.We prepare them for work, to find a job and to keep up that job, advising them and following their progress.
The Centre has an orchard where fruits trees, apple, pear and plum, are grown. There is a green house where our beneficiaries learn to care for nature, planting flowers and vegetables. From the produce we have preserved vegetables for the winter months and made various jams, for example, green melon and green tomato.We are proud that we recently won second prize for our jam at the local jam festival.
We celebrate each one of our beneficiaries, their ability and disability.They are appreciated, recognised and respected not by what they are able, or unable, to do but by who they are, children of God and our brothers and sisters, wonderful people, from whom all of us have something to learn. They enjoy organized outings and excursions but most of all their birthday parties to which their parents and relations are invited to meet, sing, dance, laugh and enjoy with their mates.
This is our first year of activity and looking back we can say it was a real success, the project itself, the activities but most of all the difference that the opening of this Day Centre has made to the life style of our beneficiaries and also to their families.
