Projects and activities
In Europe - CIS
Humanisation and opening of state-run orphanages for disabled children in Russia
Serguïev Possad
This pilot project proposes a method to "verticalise" polyhandicaped children of orphanages and let them develop the maximum of their potential.
Objective:
To propose a method to transform the living and treatment conditions of the so-called "lying" children. These children indeed are wrongly considered as "uneducable". This project also aims to open up these closed institutions.
For 10 years, our Russian partner, the Moscow Orthodox Centre "Life-giving source in Tsaritsino", has performed remarkable work regarding the transformation of the Moscow « internat1» n°8 for disabled children. The experience conducted in this internat is presently being applied to the internat of Serguiev Possad (near Moscow). This approach must be modelised in order to foster its usage in other Russian orphanages.
Activities:
• Rearrangement of the space and purchase of additional equipment.
• « Standing up » of children.
• Setting up and implementation of individual pedagogical projects for children.
• Involvement and sensitisation of the local authorities (regular contacts, round-tables, elaboration of a hand-book conceptualising the experience).
Methodology:
- Hiring of additional staff ("sanitari"-cleaners- educators, pedagogues).
- Staff training. One of the main challenges of this project is to consider that the employees who are in daily contact with children (i.e. "sanitari") have a crucial role to play in the development of children.
- Organisation of seminars by Russian specialists and two European specialists who lead a similar action of transformation of institutions for disabled persons in Geneva 40 years ago.
- Exchanges between the two orphanages and two study visits in Europe.
