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Description
There are approximately 14,000 ostomies in the Czech Republic - people with an ostomy from the intestines or urinary tract. It is thought that an ostomy will put the patient out of normal life. An ostomy is a big taboo in our society. Czech ILCO, z.s. shows that an ostomate can live a normal life. Our project called Yes, we can! expand society´s awareness of ostomy and life with it. It will reduce the patients´ and their families´ fear of ostomy. It will help them to orient themselves in the available help and care.
We will organize 2 training sessions, 2 supervision of volunteers, 1 training of regional coordinators of volunteers, 2-weekend workshops of volunteers who help new ostomies cope with the difficult situation. We will organize 11 professional training sessions for representatives of member organizations to make our assistance to new ostomies more effective and sustainable.
We will set up 1 regular therapeutic phone line of psychological support for patients and their families. We will organize 4 online psychological lectures and provide long-term psychological support.
We will publish 1 information material (notebook) for ostomies, the aim of which is to make it easier for them to orient themselves in aids, in available care and issues of life with an ostomy.
We will organize an information awareness campaign about the lives of people with an ostomy to increase the awareness of the public. Project activities will reduce the fear of creating a stoma. It will help the ostomies with returning to normal life, work and social life.
The project focuses on ostomies, professionals and the general public. As part of the partnership with the Norwegian partner NORILCO, we will share the non-traditional the idea of the exhibition. Unconventionally, we will inform about living with an ostomy in other countries as well. We will share experiences from living with an ostomy and the functioning of volunteering in both countries.
Summary of project results
There are approximately 14,000 ostomates in the Czech Republic - people with an ostomy from the intestines or urinary tract. An ostomy is always a solution to a serious medical condition. In society, the ostomy was still a big taboo. There were ideas that an ostomy would disable the patient from normal life. Czech ILCO, z.s. (FB - Final beneficiary) shows people that it is possible to live normally with a stoma. The project called "Yes, we can!" spread awareness about ostomy and life with it. It has reduced the fears of patients and their relatives about creating an ostomy. It has helped to orient them to the help and care available. It has reduced shame and embarrassment, making life easier for new and existing stoma patients. It has helped in establishing international collaboration with the project partner, expanded the competencies of FB members, staff and volunteers, stabilized the FB staff team, and provided several useful educational and outreach materials. Last but not least, FB has become more visible as a patient support organisation, so that it is now easier for stoma patients and their relatives to ask for help than before the project, when FB was well known in professional circles but public awareness was not as high as it is after the project. As a result of the awareness campaign, FB has seen the following impacts of the campaign: over 600.000 views on social networks (FB + IG), increase in website traffic by more than 50%, average engagement time over 2 minutes.FB + IG - organics = reach of over 370.000FB + IG - advertising = paid reach over 330,000, paid impressions over 1,000,000.Several difficulties had to be faced during the project implementation: the waning of the Covid-19 pandemic after the start of the implementation, which limited the possibilities of face-to-face meetings and the availability of some services or goods - as far as possible, this was addressed by online activities and changes to the project schedule; the emergence of the war conflict in Ukraine, which resulted in a gradual increase in the price of energy and goods, a rise in inflation, the unavailability of some services (e.g. The health condition of the project staff, most of whom were disabled, with some having temporary and some permanent health problems that prevented them from working, was addressed by operational staff changes so that the project implementation was not jeopardised.
Activity No. 1 - PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Project management was provided by a total of 6 employees in 4 positions:
- Project Manager - Kovaříková Štěpánka, Hana Kořínková
- Project Financial Manager - Hübnerová Klára, Jitka Svobodová
- Accountant - Krejsová Dana
- PR Manager - Michálková Petra
Activity No. 2 - PROJECT PUBLICITY
A project communication plan was developed. Elements of mandatory publicity were used on all materials.2 roll-ups were produced and used at the attendance events.- Press Releases - 11 press releases were issued as part of the project and posted on the FB website for individual activities as appropriate. - Website - A sub-page on the project was created on the FB website where contributions to activities were published on an ongoing basis. - Social media - At the same time, the activities were presented on the FB''s Facebook and Instagram profiles with the EEA and Norway Grants tagged. - Project launch - A project launch conference was organised (online due to the looming Covid-19 pandemic), where the planned activities and objectives of the project were presented- Project closure - A final presentation conference was held where the outputs and impacts of the project were presented.- Media outputs - Selected project activities were also presented in several media articles.Corporate T-shirts with mandatory publicity elements were purchased for FB members, staff and volunteers to wear to spread awareness about FB, a website with contributions to project activities and EEA Grants. This may motivate others interested in new projects benefiting patients in the Czech Republic and other European countries.
Activity 3 - AWARENESS AND MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE STOMIA TOPIC
- PytlíkART exhibition - 9 awareness-raising exhibitions were carried out in cities throughout the Czech Republic
- Video spots - 5 video spots with ostomy themes were filmed and published + 1 short version for the needs of charity broadcast on Czech TV- Stories of ostomates 5 stories of ostomates were produced and published The videos and stories were disseminated: 3 paid lines:
- spots were projected on LED screens in waiting rooms of GPs'', gynaecologists'' and EUC Clinics'' offices throughout the Czech Republic, focusing on the general public and the FB target group
- the stories of ostomates and video spots were referred to by an outdoor campaign in the form of posters placed in the Prague metro and at shopping centres across the country, targeting the general public and the FB target group
- paid advertising of video spots on Facebook, targeting the general public 5 non-paid lines:
- FB website targeting the general public and the FB target group
- FB YouTube channel targeting the general public and the FB target group
- FB''s Facebook and Instagram profiles with a focus on the FB target group
- cooperating hospitals in the Czech Republic (11 hospitals) with a focus on the general public and the FB target group
- charity broadcasts on Czech television with a focus on the general public and the FB target group
- Brochure Mom, Dad has an ostomy - 200 copies were published and distributed to FB members and volunteers
- Ostomy Notebook - 700 copies were published and distributed to FB members and volunteers
- Pexeso with S.Tomik - 5000 copies were published and distributed to the general and professional public, FB members and volunteers
- Calendar 2024 - 700 copies were published and distributed to the general and professional public, FB members and volunteers
Awareness panels - 13 panels were placed in 11 ostomy clinics
Activity No. 4 - EDUCATION OF PACIENT ASSOCIATION STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS
11 training courses for FB members were implemented and 22 people were trained (there were more participants overall, but only those people who were not counted in the indicators in other activities were counted as trained).
Activity No. 5 - ADVISORY AND INFORMATION SERVICES FOR CLIENTS
- Psychological Assistance Line - ILCO Psychological Care Line for ostomates and their relatives was in operation throughout the project implementation. It was available every second Monday, i.e. once every 14 days from 16:00 to 18:00. A total of 93 clients received professional psychological assistance. - Psychological lectures - 8 online psychological webinars were held
Activity No. 6 - SETTING UP A SYSTEM FOR WORKING WITH VOLUNTEERS AND TRAINING VOLUNTEERS
- 2 weekend workshops of FB volunteers were implemented with the participation of 50 volunteers
- 2 rounds of training of new and supervision of existing FB volunteers were carried out with a total of 60 trained volunteers
- 6 regional volunteer coordinators were trained and subsequently involved in the implementation of project activities
- 2 methodological materials were produced - Czech ILCO Volunteering Methodology and Czech ILCO Volunteer Manual
- The final beneficiary has joined (became and continues to be a member of) the National Association of Volunteering (NAD) and the Council of Volunteer Centres Northwest in the Czech Republic in the framework of the project activities.
Activity No.7 - STRENGTHENING OF PERSONAL CAPACITIES
The FB executive team was strengthened and stabilized. 20 employees were employed within the project in 11 positions.
- Social Media Admin (part-time) - Burian Petr, Tučný Bronislav
- Admin. worker - Notebook creation - Skokan Jaroslav, Lucie Ivanisková
- Media and awareness expert - Vránová Miriam, Turnerová Jolana, Jelínková Gabriela
- Admin. worker and assistant of the implementation team - Valášková Michaela
- Coordinator of exhibitions, lectures and workshops - Svobodová Kateřina
- Coordinator of volunteers (part-time) - Vojtková Jitka, Kurková Jana, Roglšeková Jana, Rejzek Filip
- Volunteer Methodologist (part-time) - Gasserová Jiřina, Kurková Jana, Valášková Michaela
- Project manager – Kořínková Hana, Kovaříková Štěpánka
- Finance manager – Svobodová Jitka, Hübnerová Klára
- Accountant – Krejsová Dana
- PR manager – Michálková Petra
Activity No.8 - COOPERATION WITH PARTNER ORGANIZATION
1 on-line conference with the project partner was organized. 12 on-line working meetings with the project partner were held. 2 partner working visits were carried out. Representatives of the project partner came to the Czech Republic. During this visit an awareness raising exhibition was launched in the Czech Republic. Subsequently, FB representatives visited the partner in Norway. During this visit an awareness raising exhibition was launched in Oslo. In addition to the implementation of awareness-raising exhibitions, the content of the mutual working meetings was the exchange of experiences between FB and the partner in the areas of volunteering, working with members of patient organisations, the public and comparison of the approach to stoma patients in both countries.
The project fully achieved its purpose and brought significant improvements for its final users.
The management established during the project continues to support the target group, leading to greater stability and efficiency. Publicity raised awareness of the Final Beneficiary and its activities, reflected by increased website visits (from 112 visits/month in 2021 to 8,171 visits/month in 2023) and growth in the closed Facebook group membership (from 1,695 to 2,522 members).
An awareness campaign informed the public about the lives of ostomates, contributing to their safer integration into society. Six video spots were created and shown in 200 waiting rooms, 262 LCD screens, and hospitals, reaching over 700,000 people. The campaign website, www.jetojendetail.cz, attracted over 5,000 unique visitors with more than 13,000 views.
The campaign also appeared on social media, reaching 37,672 users and generating 2,811 reactions. An advertising campaign on Facebook achieved over 1 million impressions. New materials for ostomates, such as 700 copies of the "Ostomate’s Notebook" and 200 copies of "Mom, Dad Has an Ostomy," were distributed, and demand remains high.
Nine awareness exhibitions took place in the Czech Republic and one in Norway, reaching approximately 1,750 people. Additionally, 34 people attended 11 online educational events, and 98 people participated in 8 psychological webinars. Phone consultations provided psychological support to 93 clients through 133 halfhour sessions.
Volunteers received training and supervision, and the knowledge gained is now being passed on to ostomates and their loved ones. The project has strengthened the collaboration with a partner in Norway, leading to continued activities such as the PytlíkART project and further international partnerships.
Summary of bilateral results
The involvement of the Norwegian project partner brought us opportunities to compare the quality and system of care for ostomy patients in both countries, to share best practices on how to work with volunteers and how to activate the membership base even more. In cooperation with the partner we organized 2 joint awareness-raising exhibitions. We expanded the circle of people from the public who are now aware that ostomy patients are part of the society, how they live with ostomy and what they need. During the work trips, information was exchanged on how to work with volunteers, how to involve them in activities and how to invite new younger ostomy patients to join the work of the non-profit patient organization. We recieved guidance on which direction to take in advocating for changes to improve both the care and status of ostomy patients in society. In addition, we have agreed with our partner on further cooperation, which will continue with the presentation of some of the outputs of the project at an international conference of representatives of ostomy organisations from Europe, with an offer of possible cooperation in the framework of the PytlíkART travelling exhibition.