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Description
D-CAMP is an education and development project addressed to people with type 1 diabetes: children, adolescents and adults and their families. Diabetes is currently one of the most psychologically burdening chronic conditions. In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic is forcing sick people, including people with diabetes and their families, to be more independent in managing their illness. According to nutritionist Milena Kuzaka, "there is a lack of multidisciplinary teams treating children with diabetes, especially diabetes educators, whose task should be to educate patients and their families. There is a lack of educators who, as part of their work, would take care of the education of teachers and caregivers of children in school or kindergarten. There is no diabetes education as a separate contractual service". According to diabetologist prof. Jan Tatoń, "education is not only about transferring knowledge, but also about showing the way to rebuild one''s personality, counteracting anxiety and depression, developing a creative approach and psychological resilience". As part of the project, we will organise a 7-day camp in Przemyśl for three groups of people with type 1 diabetes. We will conduct training on diabetes and provide physical activities, including bicycle trips. We will carry out training in line with the Life Plan Academy''s personal development programme, the Pole method, which helps build mental resilience. We will develop educational tools to support people with diabetes and their families. We will initiate intergenerational initiatives, and engage people at risk of exclusion in self-advocacy. The project partner is the Polish Diabetes Association - circles in Rzeszów, Jarosław and Przemyśl.
Summary of project results
Diabetes is currently one of the most psychologically burdensome chronic diseases. It is a family disease, because if diagnosed, it significantly affects the daily life and habits of not only the sick person, but also other family members. Health education is therefore one of the essential elements of diabetes therapy, constituting a long-term process requiring many repetitions of educational cycles. For children and adolescents with diabetes, a good form of education and support in the treatment of the disease is a stay in a sanatorium, health camp or camp. Education according to prof. J. Tatonia is not only about providing knowledge, but also showing the path to personality reconstruction, counteracting anxiety and depression, developing a creative approach and mental resilience. The D-CAMP project is a response to these needs, depending on the age group. E. Otto-Buczkowska, A. Czech emphasize that family members of the sick person should participate in the education process. Camp participants about D-CAMP: "We do not play for one goal ( with doctors). Diabetes is an orphan disease because no one but the person concerned cares about improving the diabetic''s health" (adult participant). "You opened my eyes and showed me that I am not alone. The fact that you combined all age groups at one camp has a magical, unique power" (adult participant). "It was leveraging" (young participant from Ukraine). D-CAMP, as a meeting of people who deal with type I diabetes on their own on a daily basis, was a confirmation that there is enormous support and strength in the group. This project had and still has great power and was a response to the problems faced by people suffering from the chronic disease type I diabetes.
Activities undertaken during the camp: PR and marketing (including FB fanpage or subpage, local media, audiovisual material, posts), Preparing the team supporting D-CAMP, Recruitment of D-CAMP participants, Preparing the D-CAMP camp plan, Preparing the facilities technical and insurance of participants - D-CAMP space, Implementation of the D-CAMP camp, Integration picnic for D-CAMP participants and the team, Evaluation, Creation of a board game prototype,
Products:
a. Camp plan - we have a camp skeleton that we have tested in practice. This know-how is the best investment for us, because we can now modify this plan depending on the participants'' needs, age or budget.
b. Entry regarding the camp - our experience in implementing camps/semi-camps has improved.
c. Number of hours of workshops, sports training and Life Plan Academy - 35 hours for 36 participants from Poland and abroad.
d. Online training for parents and families - two Saturday sessions, which were used by several people - 3 families.
e. Evaluation conducted by a psychologist during the camp.
f. Evaluation of classes with a Life Plan Academy trainer.
g. Intergenerational integration picnic – 50 people;
h. Meeting of participants during the Tour de Pologne in Przemyśl and with PSD;
i. Number of visitors to the FB page – min. 50 people a day during D-CAMP.
j. D-CAMP subpage or FB profile.
k. Audiovisual material - D-CAMP film.
l. Development of game scenarios with the active participation of camp participants and specialists.
ł. Game prototype.
m. Training of 10 volunteers.
n. Finding new volunteers/future collaborators from D-CAMP participants - people want to be staff during the next camp.
o. Photos.
p. Logotype.
r. Project page on FB and Instagram.
s. Life Plan Academy training plan for the needs of people with diabetes.
People participating in the camp about D-CAMP: "We do not play for one goal (with doctors). Diabetes is an orphan disease, because no one except the person concerned cares about improving the diabetic''s health" (adult participant). "You achieved the impossible by organizing our camp. It was the first (adult camp) I heard about and attended. You opened my eyes and showed me that I was not alone. The fact that you combined all age groups in one camp has a magical, unique power" (adult participant). "It was leveraging" (young participant from Ukraine). D-CAMP, as a meeting of people who deal with type I diabetes on their own on a daily basis, was a confirmation that there is great support and strength in the group.
We implemented the most important activities and internationalized the project by inviting foreign partners and released a board game prototype. We managed to reach all the groups indicated in the application and accept one participant from Ukraine who suffers from type 1 diabetes. Participation in the project allowed everyone to build confidence in their own abilities and learn from other participants (peer-to-peer) what they advise. coping with his own illness.
Results: improvement of the quality of life of 36 people participating in the project and their families; overcoming stereotypes of thinking about people with CT1; exchanging information about living with diabetes with other participants; learning about new trends in the field of diabetes; getting to know how your body works during physical exercise; integration with other people with diabetes from Poland and abroad; including people participating in the process of creating a board game and increasing the sense of agency; acquiring the ability to set goals - Life Plan Academy; expanding the scope of the Foundation''s influence; establishing new partnerships by the Foundation.