More information
Description
Under the County Scheme for People with Disabilities, CSOs in the county of Śrem have the task of taking measures to improve the lives of people with disabilities in the community and at work. Our observations have shown that the greatest obstacles preventing people with disabilities from attaining new competencies include fear of a new environment, and an insufficient range of services to help attain competencies. The Director of the Dąbrowa Primary School has said that the image that children of early school age have of people with disabilities is based on a stereotype and not very positive, but the children are glad to participate in new initiatives. We wish to enable people with disabilities to open up to a new environment and to improve their self-esteem by training them to be ECO-Educators and give lessons of this kind to children. We will conduct ecological and educational training (in theory and practice) on ecological growing of vegetables and herbs, use of vegetables and herbs in health foods, basic beekeeping issues, and workshops on communication with children and integration activities for use during teaching sessions. At the same time, we will provide one-on-one psychological counselling. Once the training is completed, the eco-educators will conduct lessons at primary schools and preschools. The project will help people with disabilities to improve their self-esteem and belief in the control they have over their own lives, and become Eco-educators. Children of primary school and preschool age will be given lessons on ecology and an opportunity to overcome the stereotype of people with disabilities. Fifteen people in the Śrem Occupational Therapy Workshop as well as approximately 100 children will take part in the activities. The partner in the project - Dąbrowa Primary School, will encourage year 1-3 pupils to attend the meetings and provide a venue and garden to hold them.
Summary of project results
The project addresses the problem of social exclusion of people with disabilities in Śrem County. Unfortunately, there are a number of barriers that prevent these people from acquiring new competencies and actively participating in society - these are both systemic and personal barriers. There are still many stereotypes about people with disabilities, also among children and young people in the region. However, this is a very heterogeneous group, with different problems but also different opportunities to participate in social and working life. Unfortunately, there is a lack of innovative local activities enabling people with disabilities to acquire new competencies, social and vocational skills.
As part of the project, 15 people with disabilities, participants of the Occupational Therapy Workshop in Śrem, including 6 people with intellectual disabilities, were trained to work as eco-educators. They received psychological counselling and took part in a series of theoretical and practical training sessions on organic vegetable and herb cultivation, the use of vegetables and herbs in healthy cooking and communication with children, group work and animation. After the trainings, these people led educational and integration meetings in two primary schools and two kindergartens for a total of 183 children.
Thanks to the project, 15 people with disabilities have gained new skills and competences to work in the field of ecology and education. Their self-confidence, self-esteem and sense of influence over their lives have increased. Several people also developed their leadership and self-advocacy competences. The children who took part in the workshops not only improved their knowledge of ecology and nature, but above all their awareness of people with disabilities, their needs and their capabilities increased.