Description
The project addresses the need for children in distant areas to acquire knowledge and skills by playing with toys. The project aims at enabling children to acquire skills and boosting the parent capacity by setting up a Toy Library in Targovishte District. First, Beleduc bamboo toys for children aged 3-7 will be purchased for the Mobile Toy Library (MTL); trainers from Worldwide Orphans Foundation will be employed and the MTL team made up of a librarian, assistant and coordinator will be formed. Second, the MTL team will be trained to manage the library and keep daily statistics. Third, the MTL will be presented to local parents and their children at 2 meetings. Fourth, the MTL company provider will be selected and the service will be provided for 10 months to 20 children, many of them from small localities. The project will benefit the children, their parents and the public in general. The partner will expand its Toy Library for children aged 0-3 by developing the MTL.
Summary of project results
The project aimed at developing a mobile approach for the provision of the service the Toy Library to vulnerable children and families in remote and isolated communities with limited access to services aiming ultimately to support the wellbeing of the children in Targovishte Municipality. The project improved the parents’ knowledge about the development of their children and helped them understand and respond to their needs through game. The changed attitude of the parents brought about sustainable results in the long run. The game sessions helped children’s development and were recognized as an alternative for families when there are no services for children in the localities. The project expanded the experience of the lead and partner organizations and helped raise the understanding and awareness about the needs and specificities of the target groups. As a result of the project the access of vulnerable children and families to services and resources supporting children’s development was enhanced as a follow-up of 44 group sessions for games with children and parents. The connection between parents and their children improved and the impact was measured by means of the Indicator of Parent-Child Interaction. The parents’ capacity was boosted and 80% of the parents interviewed at the end of the project said that they noticed a positive change in their child’s development and learnt how to meet its needs. 59 children and parents from the minorities took part in the project activities, being actively involved in the 44 game sessions; individual lessons were given to 29 children with disabilities and their parents. There will be a follow-up of the project and funded by own means by the Children at Risk Foundation. The project was implemented with the active partnership of Club of Nonprofits Association. For more information:
http://wwo.bg/en/programs/mobile-approach-to-toy-library/
Summary of bilateral results