Work with Foreign Specialists

This month the Florence Center was visited by partners from Magdeburg: the director of the Kinderderververk Integration Complex Dieter Dammering together with colleagues from the Board of Directors.

Dr. Dammeting provided lectures for the students and professors of the Zaporozhye National University and the Zaporozhye Regional Institute of Postgraduate Education. He talked about integration of children with special needs into society. Our German colleagues also share the experience about this work in Magdeburg, used examples and photographs. People asked a lot of questions. Especially the audience was interested how to start this work in Ukraine.

The "Kangaroo" Program

 During the month, 14 people attended the Kangaroo program. The program started to attend 3 new children. Three diagnostic consultations with families were carried out.

Our German colleague, Dieter Dammering, during his stay personally diagnosed every child. Later at the parents' meeting he gave recommendations how to work with each child. In addition, our colleagues visited several families and held consultations at home for parents. We are very grateful to our German partners for such an invaluable help and support in their work!

During art sessions children paint with water paintings, mold dough and plasticizer, paint with paints, markers, pencils, learn to cut. This month, the kids prepared gifts for our graduates - applications and drawings with wishes. It was very nice to hear the parents' feedback about our program:

- "A place like" Kangaroo» very difficult to find. This is a place where it is comfortable for children and parents feel that their children get good care».

"There are so many pleasant memories about your program. I do not want to say goodbye and leave this place... "

Thank you very much, dear parents for such kind words! Only you and your little ones inspire us to work with such love and bestowal!

We continue to visit the pool in the regional children's hospital. Under the guidance of our physiotherapist, children learn to swim, strengthen muscle, struggle with their fears and get a lot of fun in the water.

Actively work with parents: individual counseling, discuss lots of things, invite parents to participate in our sessions, help them see all the hidden potential of their child.

The Project "I am beautiful!" - 2

On May 17, we summed up the second project for senior women. This month our participants again visited the Estetic Education salon. Very beautiful externally and glowing inside the woman visited the local drama theater, where they watched bright and cheerful performance. And the last meeting was organized in the cozy atmosphere of the café "Old Rabbit". Each participant came with a support group - children, grandchildren and friends also wanted to participate.

Here is the feedback about the project from some participants:

"This project was for me a straw for a drowning person. I had tragic days, and the project brought me back to life, made me believe in myself. All my life I ran, but I forgot about myself. The project told me that you are also a Woman, pay attention to yourself, that life is always good, at any age! "

"This project gave us respect for ourselves, gave us understanding and a lot of kindness. We became friends here and lived as a united friendly team! "

"Every lesson for me was very interesting! I discovered a lot of new things. Particularly liked the topic of love in old age and the organization of free time. I would recommend continuing such projects! ".

The Project "We are Just Like You!"

Funny competitions and games remembered the guys from the detention centre after our visits. And there was something to enjoy - assignments for attentiveness, solidarity, erudition, speed and, of course, the prizes to the winners at the end left no one indifferent. Our task was not just to spend time in an interesting way, but to give the boys the opportunity to see that each of them is capable in something. The guys managed to successfully cope with all the tasks! They expressed hope that this is not our last meeting.

Students’ Practicum

In May, the practice for social educators of the Economics and Law College was completed. For 5 months we conducted training sessions for students on communicative competence and the formation of professional social and pedagogical skills. The children not only actively participated in all trainings, but also helped our Center in the preparation of methodological materials, on walks with children, as well as in the preparation and holding of the integrative concert "Holy Great Hearts".

The last lessons took place in a warm and friendly atmosphere. During the feedback, the guys noted that they did not expect such benefit from the practice. After all, they not only got a lot of knowledge here by profession, but also learned each other better and rallied. We, in turn, are grateful to the students for their unselfish help to our Center and sincere love for the profession.

Training Workshop

This month we continued cooperation with our wonderful colleagues - Volunteer School No. 612. This time we were invited to participate in a volunteer camp on the shore of the Azov Sea, in which young activists from all over Ukraine gathered. We trained 18 camp participants in the basic skills of mediation.

Many participants heard about mediation for the first time, so it was especially interesting for them to get acquainted with new technologies of work. Thanks to their activity, we managed to fulfill all the tasks set: the participants shared deep and frank reflections, personal life-related realizations and stories. According to the participants of the training, the information on mediation seemed to them rather simple, but in practice it was not immediately possible to implement everything. Especially, in their opinion, it was difficult to remain impartial in resolving conflicts, not to assess the actions of people, but simply to help them in understanding the situation. At the end, many participants expressed a desire to continue practicing their skills, and some decided to introduce mediation ideas in their own cities.

The Program "Healthy Lifestyle"

In May, we summed up the work with schools on the program "Healthy Generation". According to many school students, they liked our classes very much. Many of them became friends, they learned their classmates better. The guys said that it was fun and interesting to spend time together.

Class leaders noted the great need for such training. In turn, our colleagues once again became convinced of the importance of the well-coordinated work of the teacher-parent-psychologist in the process of raising a child.