Thirty children with mental disabilities from the Transnistrian region were able to acquire life habits and even learn professions within the project “Rehabilitation and counseling for children and young people with disabilities” that is implemented by the Tiraspol rehabilitation center OSORC.
Contacted by IPN, the center’s head Ludmila Borodina said the project was launched in 2009 and completed in December 2011. It was fully financed by Swedish donors. The total value of the project was €169,000. The center continues to work and is looking for funds because there are many persons who want to benefit from the provided services.
Within the project, there were opened two workshops for persons who were unable to study at an institution. The beneficiaries are aged between 14 and 30. The young people are taught to use the sewing machine. A part of them were involved in making soft toys, which are in demand in the region. Ludmila Borodina said the problem resides in the insufficiency of the necessary equipment. There are only three sewing machines for 15 beneficiaries.
The second workshop enables the young people to learn to cook. The bakery products made there are included in the menu of the beneficiaries of the rehabilitation center.
The project “Rehabilitation and counseling for children and young people with disabilities” is among the finalists of the ERSTE Foundation Award for Social Integration 2013. The award is given once in two years for social integration projects from 13 European countries. As many as 1,988 projects took part in the 2013 edition.
