Vinnytsia, [June 30] - We are pleased to announce that a Psychological and Rehabilitation Camp for children and youth with disabilities and their parents/legal representatives has started in Vinnytsia. The camp will provide participants with valuable support, new knowledge and skills to improve their quality of life.
Event organizers:
- NGO "National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine"
- NGO "Association for the Protection of Rights and Assistance to People with Disabilities "Open Hearts"
The purpose of the camp:
- Promoting mental health, restoring internal resources, preventing burnout and stabilizing the psycho-emotional state of participants.
- Exchange of experience on best practices of advocacy for the rights and interests of children and youth with disabilities in territorial communities during the war.
Location: Inclusive space for non-formal learning, Vinnytsia region, Stryzhavska territorial community, Dorozhne village.
The first day began with a tour of the social complex as an example of successful long-term advocacy for the right of persons with disabilities to access social services for children and youth with disabilities and their families.
The official opening of the event took place today. Svitlana Demko, representative of the NAIU in Vinnytsia region, chairman of the Board of the Open Hearts Association, made a welcoming speech.
Camp program:
- Psychological support trainings
- Various workshops for parents and children
This camp is extremely important for children and young people with disabilities, as well as their parents, especially in times of war. The event is aimed at improving mental health, which is a key aspect of overall well-being. Participants get the opportunity to restore their inner resources, gain valuable knowledge and skills, and find new ways to support each other in difficult times.
"First and foremost, it is the prevention of parental burnout. Stress relief, mental health support. They need to know that someone will be with their children. And the children are interested." - Svitlana Demko said.
The 22 camp participants are 11 children and young people with mental retardation accompanied by their parents. Each family lives in a separate room.
At the camp, visitors take part in art workshops and work with specialists. Psychological trainings are also held for parents. Assistant psychologist Dmitry Bondarchuk said that in his classes he tells children how to overcome stress.
"We inform participants about stress and how to overcome it. The most important thing is to support them, to give them resources, not to close down and not to keep them inside. It will be easier for both children and others." - Dmytro said.
The project provides an opportunity for children and youth with disabilities to integrate into society, receive social services and feel part of an active community. It is also an opportunity to share experiences and best practices between participants and organizers, which contributes to improving advocacy for the rights of persons with disabilities at the local level.
Nadiya Zikrata and her daughter Inna came to the camp from Sumy region.
"The impressions are pleasant. Unfortunately, we are living in difficult times. It is hard for children and adults. Parents are emotionally exhausted. I think that such projects will improve our mental health, and there will be a positive result from this trip." - Nadiya said.
17-year-old Yaroslav Silchenko came from Zaporizhzhia. He told Suspilne that he had already made friends in the camp.
"I like to communicate with my friends, I like to draw, create something. I want to become a famous artist and open a historical museum. I like to draw people and stories." - Yaroslav said.
This event was held within the framework of the project "Crisis in Ukraine: Response and Recovery with the Needs of Persons with Disabilities, led and coordinated by organizations of persons with disabilities (Phase 2), implemented by the National Assembly of Persons with Disabilities of Ukraine with the support of the European Disability Forum (EDF) and the Christian Blind Mission (CBM).
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Psychological and Rehabilitation Camp for Children and Youth with Disabilities Launched along with their Parents in Vinnytsia
Vinnytsia [June 30]: We are pleased to announce the beginning of a Psychological and Rehabilitation Camp for children and youth with disabilities, along with their parents or legal representatives, in Vinnytsia. The camp will provide participants with valuable support, new knowledge, and skills to improve their quality of life.
The event is organized by:
- The National Assembly of Persons with Disabilities of Ukraine
- The Association of Protecting the Rights and Helping People with Disabilities "Open Hearts"
The camp aims to:
- Improve mental health and help restore internal resources, prevent burnout, and stabilize the psycho-emotional state of the participants
- Share experiences and best practices in advocating for the rights and interests of children and youth with disabilities in territorial communities during the war
Venue: Inclusive Space for Informal Communication, Vinnytsia region, Stryzhavska Territorial Community, Dorozhnie village.
The first day began with a tour of the social complex, showing an example of successful long-term advocacy for the right of persons with disabilities to access social services for children and youth with disabilities and their families.
The official opening of the event was held today. Svitlana Demko, representative of the NAPD in Vinnytsia region and Board's Chairperson of the "Open Hearts" Association, made a welcoming speech
The Program of the Camp:
- Psychological support trainings
- Various master classes for parents and children
This camp is extremely important for children and young people with disabilities, as well as their parents, especially in times of war. The event is aimed at improving mental health, which is a key factor of overall well-being. The participants have the opportunity to restore their inner resources, gain valuable knowledge and skills, and find new ways to support each other in difficult times.
"First of all, it is about preventing parental burnout, providing stress relief and mental health support. It's important for parents to know that someone will be there for their children. And the children find it interesting, too," said Svitlana Demko.
The camp has 22 participants, consisting of 11 children and young people with mental retardation accompanied by their parents. Each family is staying in a separate room.
The camp visitors take part in art workshops and work with specialists. Psychological trainings are held for parents, too. Dmytro Bondarchuk, a psychologist's assistant, said that in his classes he tells children how to overcome stress.
"We inform the participants about stress and how to overcome it. The most important thing is to support them, to give them resources, instead of closing down and keeping everything inside. It will be easier for both children and other people around them," Dmytro said.
The project provides an opportunity for children and young people with disabilities to integrate into society, receive social services and feel part of an active community. It is also an opportunity to share experiences and best practices among participants and organizers, which helps to improve advocacy for the rights of people with disabilities at the local level.
Nadiia Zikrata and her daughter Inna came to the camp from the Sumy region.
"We have pleasant impressions. Unfortunately, we are living in difficult times. It is hard for both children and adults. Parents are emotionally exhausted. I think such projects will improve our mental health, and this trip will bring a positive result," Nadiia said.
Camp training activities
17-year-old Yaroslav Silchenko came from Zaporizhzhia. He told Suspilne TV that he had already made friends in the camp.
"I like communicating with my friends, and I enjoy painting and creating things. I want to become a famous artist and open a historical museum. I like to draw people and stories," Yaroslav said.
This event is held as part of the project "Crisis in Ukraine: OPD-Led Disability Inclusive Response and Recovery (Phase 2)", implemented by the National Assembly of Persons with Disabilities of Ukraine with support from the European Disability Forum (EDF) and the Christian Blind Mission (CBM).
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