The Project "I am beautiful!" - 3

In December, classes for the third group of elderly women ended. The total number of participants who reached the finals was 11 people. Women visited the theater, and the control task was correctly dressed in accordance with the event. Almost everyone completed the task to "excellent". The final event was a small concert in the city social service, where women came with their relatives, friends or just acquaintances. About 40 people came to support the participants.

At the meeting the "Florence" Centre we showed a small video about how the classes were held. The guests and participants enjoyed looking at the screen with pleasure, laughing, remembering the fun moments of the classes and just enjoying what they saw. And the most long-awaited was the video of the transformation of women with the name "Before and After." Everyonewho appeared on the screen was greeted with applause! At the end of the sessions women got certificates of participation, portraits, calendars with their photographs. Many participants brought their acquaintances so that they could participate in the next group.

"Thanks to the project, I managed to return the pink dancing flamingos, which I have long forgotten. For me they are a symbol of harmony and peace "- such words were completed by one of the participants of the project" I am beautiful! "- 3.

In addition, in December we met with the participants of the first and second groups of the project "I'm beautiful!". The total number of women who came to the meeting was 24 people. We really wanted to know what had changed in their lives, what information was left, what they were using in their lives today.

Here are some statements by the participants: "We have learned to think positively whatever happens in your life!"; "Learning not fight in aconflict"; "In general, we visited a fairy tale!"; "Thanks to the project, I began to draw attention to myself, I used not care how I look."

"I began to interact better with my mother-in-law." "I began to do more for people, thanks to the project." "I was like a dying flower, which was poured, and I came to life."

Women offered to meet participants of all projects and hold a conference. We plan to do it in 2018.

The "Kangaroo" Program

In December, 15 children attended the Kangaroo program.

This month the program "Kangaroo" received a lot of New Year's gifts. We bought additional lockers for kiddies, aprons. Thanks to sponsorship, we managed to purchase comfortable children's mattresses for all our pupils.

We continued to visit the sauna with a swimming pool, where children learned to swim, relax, strengthen muscles and receive hydro massage sessions.

Continue classes with a speech therapist, where children learn perseverance, concentration, begin to pronounce sounds and even whole words.

Clowns again pleases children with their presence. Children with them feel relax, learn to interact with each other without words.

Parents received information support - everyone was offered the manual "How to listen and hear your child" M.Yu. Bespalovoy. Many parents became acquainted with the material, asked questions and put into practice the advice from the book.

In December our children attended a concert at the music school №1. All children enjoyed listening to classical music, got acquainted with musical instruments.

On December 22, our Center visited the opening of the New Year tree ceremony in the Alexander Park. The children met St. Nicholas, danced, watched the theatrical performance.

The whole month we were preparing together with the music therapist for the New Year's party. Children dressed up the Christmas tree, helped decorate the hall for the celebration. Met the New Year with the Snow Maiden and Santa Claus. All the children were very active, in carnival costumes, they danced and performed tasks.

At the end of the month, representatives of the shopping center "Auchan" congratulated the kids on the upcoming holidays. Adults together with the children parried gifts, collected children's railway, jointly conducted the gymnastics and made a New Year tree from the palms. Everyone was happy! Thank you very much!

Also, thank you very much to our students and volunteers for their help in organizing the events and preparing the methodical materials!

The Project "Territory Z" (part of the Program "Healthy Lifestyle")

In December, sessions for the second year of the project were completed for five groups. By the end of the sessions, in almost all groups, there have been changes in the behavior of the children, as well as in their attitude towards the trainings. This was expressed in a more active participation, discipline, interest in classes. Some guys asked about the next events that are planned to take place in their classes.

"When will you return to us? I was interested, I will wait for you again! "

At the same time, there were students who noted that they do not need training, since they did not learn anything about themselves.

In December, our staff held two parental meetings. In addition to summarizing the results of the trainingswith children, a lecture was prepared for parents about the psychological characteristics of adolescence. Adults listened with visible interest. The lecturer was very pleased with the fact that the meetings were attended not only by moms, but also by dads. Part of the information for them turned out to be quite new and very timely.

Also this month we have interviewed all class leaders of the participating classes of the project. Everyone said about the great need for such activities, noted the positive dynamics in the behavior of children and gave some very important recommendations for the future.

Within the framework of work with teachers, two meetings were held. For teachers of one of the schools, a training session was held on conflict prevention and ways out of conflict situations. For the second school our employees gave a lecture "I am a woman". The teachers listened with great interest to the information provided and actively participated in practical assignments.

Students’ Practicum

This month, the volunteer practice for two future social pedagogues of the Zaporizhzhya National University was completed. Summing up, the girls said that they really enjoyed working with children, although at the beginning it was scary.

"I understood how to find a common language with young children, to establish relationships with them."

"Children with special needs are ordinary children and it is very pleasant to communicate with them. They are very kind and open. "

Staff of the “Florence Centre” took part at the volunteer conference in Zaporizhyhya National University and got a prize for active work with them.

The Project "School Mediation"

In the beginning of December, our colleagues from the Mennonite Central Committee, Irina and Sarah, came to one of the mediators' meetings of the "Eridan" Shool 69. The guests listened to the mediators' speeches about the results of the previous month's work, about common impressions and new ideas.

In total, 6 mediator sessions and 4 mediations for schoolchildren (8 pupils) were held in a month.

For 4 classes of junior and high school classes were held on the topic: "Conflict. Types of behavior in conflict. "

With the purpose of advertising the work of the "Phoenix" (School 25) and maintaining its positive image, the presentation of the Centre on conflict resolution (12 classes, totaling about 300 students) was held for secondary and high school students. During the meetings, in addition to the objectives and principles of the Centre, the concepts of "conflict" and "conflict resolution strategies" were disclosed, practical exercises were used to consolidate these skills.

Also, the mediators of the school service "Phoenix" took an active part in organizing events for the All-Ukrainian action "16 days without violence". An exhibition of works was organized, materials for the school board were prepared, explanatory discussions were conducted on the consequences and ways of preventing violence in the school environment.

At the end of the month, a meeting of the coordinators of the two schools with our staff was held on the territory of the Florence Centre. During the conversation, both Irinas told that they did not even expect such a positive result. Their mediators became real friendly teams! The teena-mediators are very excited, they want to deal not only with mediation and conducting preventive activities, but also with organizinmgof general school activities aimed at building tolerance and positive attitude.