A joint party for children with and without
special needs took place at the Rehabilitation Center of St Elisabeth Convent
last Sunday.More Than a Birthday, or Inclusive Party for Children at the
Rehabilitation Center of St Elisabeth Convent.
A joint
party for children with and without special needs took place at the
Rehabilitation Center of St Elisabeth Convent. Old friends met in Lysaja Hara
last Sunday. The brothers and sisters who work in St Elisabeth Convent
organised a happy weekend for children who live with their parents and those
who live in residential care facilities, such as boarding homes for people with
special needs.
Maria
Ivanova, the head of the We Are and We Are Together Integrated Animation
Studio, has spent many years teaching children with special needs. She believes
that inclusive parties like this one help to create an accessible environment
in our society. “This interaction is equally important for everyone! It allows
the children with special needs to socialise, and helps the children without
special needs to perceive the world deeper, to be more tolerant and kind.”
Maria
admits that she tries to seize any opportunity that comes her way to organise
events like this one. For instance, she invited her friends to the boarding
home for her own birthday party. This time, the party in the Rehabilitation
Center was meant to be a birthday present for Lena, 19, who stays in a boarding
home in Astrašycki Haradok, and for Maria’s own son Benjamin, who has just
turned four.
“When
children with special needs turn 18, they are transferred from boarding homes
for children to other facilities,” Maria explains. “We organised this party to
let the boarding home leavers to spend time with their old friends again, which
is a rare opportunity for them. Of course, children without disabilities
participated in the party, too. Playing team games, eating tasty food, and
having fun — we were doing it together and enjoyed it!
August
17, 2017
St. Elisabeth Convent
CONVERSATION