Baraolt - 06th of June – 10th of June
7th of June
During the first day of visits:
Laura Haz – Daily care center
for disabled children and young adults – Laura Haz was founded by Laura Toth as a non-profit organization in
2003. The center receives support from the county of Baraolt
8th of June
Special school – Sf. Gheorghe
- The school was founded in
1980 by Cosvana district. At the moment 120 young people with mental disability
visit the institution. The staff is by psychologist, speech therapists, and
physiotherapists. Two teachers supervise the children in the special classes.
In regular public school aren’t possibilities to integrate young people with
disabilities. In the school isn’t available a bus service. The parents need to
take the children.
The school is situated in the nice renovated
building with garden. It is good modern equipped with several class rooms, computer
room, gyms for rehabilitation, bathroom, and kitchen.
Education is
based on a program, which is oriented especially
on each child’s abilities. The aim is to support and integrate these children
into society through speech therapy, physiotherapy and psychotherapy. The
children learn to work on a computer. The school focuses on artistic
activities.
Daily care
center for disable people – The
center was founded in 2006 by the state and financed by foreign sponsors
(German, Austrian and Dutch) and from self-financing (sale of handicrafts
products by the users). The goal of the
center is allow disabled people to work and insert the disabled into the labor
market. There are some laboratories where the disabled people can learn a job. The
staff is composed by administrative employees, psychologists, nurses, social
workers and teachers and supporter for the manual works. The center was created
taking into account the German and Dutch model, countries with which a
partnership is made. Outside the center have also used a clothes shop, a
carpentry shop, which employs disabled youth. The center offers sheltered
workshops for learning.
NBDN : Marieta Nikolova and Annete Marinova.Cimbora Nursery School - Baraolt
Cimbora nursery school is situated in the middle of the town ad offer to the children a lot of different activities. Sexteen nursery school teacher work there, with ten workers from the support staff, psychologist and speech therapist. The nursery school collaborates with Special need school working with children whit special needs. Cimbora nursery school has a specific educational program, involved to self-development, healty development, integration program, social and physical development. The program of the nursery school include: self development, health development, integration physical-social and emotional development. During the morning spent in the nursery school, we could see and participate in activities done with children…and finally gave us a beautiful flower.Laura Haz- day care center- Baraolt
The daily care center for disabled children and young adults, is open from Monday to Friday from 8 am to 2 pm. There is not a age-limit to go to the center, but they have some admission criteria: have a good behaviour, being able to eat by their self and being self-sufficient for the cleaning.Laura Haz is a no-profit organization founded by Laura Toth in 2003. Located in the center of Baraolt, they are supported by Baraolt, the children’s legal protection and by Kovaszna municipality. In order to have more funds available, Laura Haz’s staff and parents organize many extra activities for fundraising.
The Laura Haz’s staff is composed by 5 workers, they have also a psychologist for the individual program. The goal of the institution is to provide disabled peple without scholastic learning with appropriate support, especially regarding autonomy by work.
During the morning children and guys have many activities like work laboratory. During the morning, two boys follow the "learning laboratory" where the psychologist introduce them to some games like memory or puzzle games, useful to cognitive development.
Then each guy goes into the laboratory. The principal activity is the frame size: they cut old clothes in strips and then become carpets thanks to the frame. They also do other work with the fabric (pouf), wicker, greeting cards, etc.. Laura Haz collaborate with the school for physical activity. In addition to workshops Laura Haz teach the care of personal hygiene, to behave properly at the table, eating alone, spending time with others, without being quarrelsome behaviour.
During the year are expected outputs and trips, eg a. trout fishing, festivals (New Year) with their parents.
Behind "Laura House" was set up a market of second-hand clothes, followed by a user and operators. The center is financed for 50% by state funds and the other with donations and volunteering. Have established partnerships with associations (I think Irish), who have rebuilt half of the house, they send diapers and summer camps organized labor, in return for hospitality. "Laura House" is very similar to the Italian experience.
Development Center Baraolt
The institution provides the social support for marginalized children, children with disabilities, abandoned children and poor families. Inside the institution there is a resident center for children with special needs. The goal of this center is support the disabled children when their parents are unable to provide them. The center’s activities are housing, care, rehabilitation, education and integration.At the time of our visit, the center hosted 12 children from 0 to 8 years whit several physical and cognitive disabilities.
The staff is composed by 9 workers, 6 employed by government and 3 by the association. In the staff there is various type of professionals: social worker, educator with special competence for rehabilitation (speech therapy-cognitive rehabilitation, physical rehabilitation). The center try to integrate the children and their families to the community by some activities like the international day of the integration, open day centre, carnival party with the community, some specific visit.
The rehabilitation centre’s objectives is designed to enhance the lives of children with disabilities trough therapy to provide cognitive abilities, speech therapy and sensorial/physical development. The rehabilitation activities are based on the toys or interests of children.
Special nursery school Sf. Gheorghe
The nursery school provide to education, rehabilitation and social integration of the children. The nursery school is inside of the special school of Saint George, provided by the Covasna County Council. In the school there are 2 groups for special nursery school, 9 special classes for children with medial mental deficiency, 3 special group for children with severe mental disabilities, additional assistance for supporting teacher.
In the classes for older children are done activities for their employability; the goal is socio professional adaptation.
The activities are based on personalized intervention program plans, for exemple speech therapy, psychotherapy, kinetotherapy, work therapy for integration.
Diakonia Írisz Ház Sepsiszentgyörgy – Daily care center for disabled people
The center has recently been built (2009) even if they work with disability since 2006; the center is very nice and welcoming. The goal of the center is allow disabled people to work and insert the disabled into the labor market. There are some laboratories where the disabled people can learn a job.The centre is funded by the state, is financed by foreign sponsors (German, Austrian and Dutch) and from self-financing (sale of handicrafts products by the users). The staff is composed by administrative employees, psychologists, nurses, social workers and teachers and supporter for the manual works. The center was created taking into account the German and Dutch model, countries with which a partnership is made. Outside the center have also used a clothes shop, a carpentry shop, which employs disabled youth. The center offers sheltered workshops for learning, and also real job placements called "protected units."
All the services that we visited are very attentive to the needs of children and young people with disabilities. Despite the problems of financing the services manage to provide assistance and quality educational programs. They also made a lot of activities to raise awareness of disability, but in spite of this we still can not talk about integration.
Cooperativa ARCA
Residence and rehabilitation centre of Baraolt for resident young childrenAs the name gives away, this institution is a residence for handicapped children. It’s located in the centre of Baraolt, in the Kovászna district of Romania. The Town of Baraolt is the
institution’s responsible body. It is funded by the Romanian state as well as Austrian and Dutch sponsors. The state and sponsors pay the staff’s salaries. As the institution is aimed at children from socially deprived families, their parents don’t have to pay additional fees.
The institution operates around the clock, as it is a residence where children live day and night. To be admitted, children have to be between 0 and 8 years old, have a physical or mental handicap and live in the nearby of Baraolt.
There are 9 female employees, among them educators, childcare workers, social workers, a psychologist, a speech therapist, a nurse and a doctor, who is also the manager. The childcare workers absolve a 6-months training after their school. The doctor has studied medicine, comparable to a German study.
At the moment there are 12 children in the residence, divided in two groups. One for kids aged 0 to 3 and one for those between 3 and 8 years old. The younger group is attended by 5, the elder one by 7 children. The children suffer from different handicaps such as Down syndrome, cleft palate, spastic handicaps and cognitive issues.
The residence has four buildings, of which we were shown the children’s residence. There are five group and therapy rooms in the one story building, which are used for individual and group therapy. Furthermore, there are handicapped accessible toilets, an office, a staff room and a kitchen. The group rooms are equipped with lots of toys and aid material for gross and fine motor skills, as well as for cognitive and physical aid. The residence has a big garden with monkey bars, slides and other playground equipment. Some doors are built rather narrow, meaning that kids in wheelchairs could have problems moving around without obstacles. Apart from that, the rooms are well equipped against injuries.
The institution’s pedagogic goals are mainly to simplify the children’s daily life and make it worthwhile and easier. They also put a great focus on the contact between the kids and their families and on the parent’s interests fort he kids.
In order to achieve these goals, the children’s cognitive, senso-motoric and speech abilities are supported. The aid is adapted to the child’s possibilities and takes place four times a week, 20 minutes always at the same time, in a playful, colourful environment. Individual aid is very eclectic and puts the kids’ interests first. The pedagogic staff such as the speech therapist, the psychologist and the educators ensures the aid’s variety. If not in therapy, the children spend their time in the group rooms, where the staff looks them after. The team has regular meetings and documents the children’s development. They try to integrate the kids through common projects with other handicapped institutions. Regular walks through the town are supposed to help as well.
The social workers visit the children’s parents and try to evoke their interest in their kids and incite them to visit the children regularly.
All in all we can state that this institution is modern and well equipped. The staff care very well for the children and pays attention to their needs. Integration could be more eclectic and there should be some contact between handicapped and normal children. Staff from outside could especially aid the children with physical handicaps. The overall impression, however, was very good and the staff’s positive attitude is exemplary.
„Cimbora“ – kinder garden
This institution exists since 1992 and works integrative ever since. It has 10 groups in total and is located in a residential area in the city centre. Opening hours are from 8 am to 1 pm for three groups, and from 8 am to 5 pm for seven groups. The parent’s fees depend on their income, but do not exceed 20 Euros per year. The contribution is voluntary. The school is funded by the city, which, however, only covers the staff’s salaries. Private sponsors support it financially.There are 16 educators, 10 aides, a nurse, a speech therapist and a psychologist. The educators have a three-year professional training and are able to absolve a psychological formation within another three years.
220 children visit the school, seven of them are in a special group for mentally handicapped. They are looked after by two educators and a psychologist. 25 kids aged 1 to 3 are cared for in
the nursery school by one educator and a helper. One of these kids is deaf. The other 8 groups are regular kinder garden groups, each one being visited by 20-23 children.
The house is a two-story building with several staircases and an elevator. Each group has a room of about 40-50 m². Some groups have fold-out beds, apart from sufficient chairs and tables. There are playing corners (costume corner, doll corner, etc) and lots of toys (puzzles, construction toys, etc). There is a therapy room for play therapy and a small office for the psychologist.
The children in the special group are individually aided during play therapy. The school’s focus is to support the kids’ creative and artistic activities by using different materials, such as natural materials.
Bases for pedagogic work:
- Individual fulfilment
- integration and acceptance of being different
- support the children with their character development
- formation of social, physical, emotional and intellectual skills
There are personal meetings with the parents, both at school and in their homes, in order to help them with educational matters.
The house and the rooms look very tidy. The rooms are bog, and have sufficient furniture and toys. The garden is large and beautiful, but there is to few playground equipment for so many children. The combination of playing, eating and sleeping in the same room is rather unusual. The staff are friendly and nice, as well as the atmosphere. However, the staff of one educator in the morning and one in the afternoon for 20-23 children, 25 in the nursery group, doesn’t leave much margin
It’s pleasant that there are two educators and a psychologist in the special group of 7 children. The psychologist and the speech therapist aid the children in individual therapy. Unfortunately, there was no evidence of cooperation with other groups in the school. We couldn’t clarify why the special needs children are looked after in a separate group and not in one of the regular ones.
Diakonia Írisz Ház Sepsiszentgyörgy – Daily care center for disabled people
This institution offers handicapped people the possibility to do manual work during the day. It’s located at the outskirts of Sepsiszentgyörgy, a small town in the Romanian Covasna district and employs several handicapped people from the closer surroundings. It’s regulatory body is the „Diakonia“ organisation, which is a charitable organisation in Transylvania. The centre is funded by the state, but is still reliant on the support of several German, Austrian and Dutch sponsors. Another source of income is the sale of products crafted by the handicapped.There are administrative employees, psychologists, nurses, social education workers, and teachers as well as craftsmen for the different manual works. We didn’t receive any information on their qualifications.
The handicapped work in the workshop and are therefore the real staff. Up to 10 workers fit in one room and are supervised by a craftsman.
It’s a one-story building with two wings and a garden. One wing holds the offices and some workshops, the other one only workshops and storage rooms. There are some rented rooms in the centre of Sepsiszentgyörgy, as well as a clothing shop, which indirectly belong to the Írisz house’s facilities. The main building is very modern and the workshops are nice, but over equipped. There is a lot of working material, as they produce in rather large quantities. The facility is handicapped accessible, just the workshops are furnished a bit narrow, making it difficult for wheelchairs to access them. Possibly there are handicapped accessible workshops in the building, but we didn’t get to see them. The facilities in the city centre aren’t handicapped accessible, their doors are too narrow and the rooms too small. The same applies to the shop, which can’t be reached by wheelchair, as there is a construction site and a 4-step staircase in front of it.
The institution’s goal is to employ handicapped persons. These handicapped adults have the possibility to do manual works, like woodwork, candle production, gardening, grading of textiles, etc. It is very important for the workers to engage in activities that they like. Educations and psychologists continuously talk to the workers and observe them during work, in order to identify which works they like and which ones not. There is no integrative work, as the facility is exclusively aimed at handicapped people.
The institution has a good contact with the workers’ families, although this isn’t always easy.
Írisz Ház has good foreign contacts, thanks to „Diakonia“, and is therefore able to realise many projects. They work closely with „Laura Ház“, which has a similar philosophy. There is also a clothing store in Baraolt which employs mainly handicapped people .
The institution has very creative and good ideas on how to occupy handicapped people in a way that makes sense. Their handling is very humane and familial. The building is modern and beautiful, therefore the workers have a nice environment. The rooms shouldn’t be too furnished to ensure access for wheelchairs. Unfortunately there is no integrative work at all, as the handicapped stay among themselves. In our opinion, they should start projects, supported by the good sponsors, during which the workers cooperate with regular workers. Overall, Írisz Ház is a very interesting institution, which combines profitability and social commitment in a perfect way.
Laura Ház Baraolt – Daily care centre for disabled children and young adults
Laura Ház was founded by Laura Toth, a psychologist († 2007) as a non-profit organization in 2003. The centre is located in a detached house with garden in the small town of Baraolt. It can’t be reached by public transport, only by foot or by car.Since it is a non-profit organization, it relies constantly on contributions. They receive support from the county of Baraolt, from the children’s legal protection of the county of Kovaszna and from the district of Kovaszna itself. The operating permit has been applied for in Bukarest. Die „Listra“ society from the Netherlands provides the house and delivers used clothing, which can be sold. Maintenance and operations take a lot of effort and energy, as they need constant contributions. The parents have founded a trust in order to be able to collect money to secure the house’s financing.
Laura Ház is opened from Monday to Friday from 8 am to 2 pm. They offer a free shuttle service with their own small bus and a voluntary driver.
Admission criteria are cleanliness, being able to eat by oneself and no aggressive behaviour.
The children may stay in the institution as long as they want to, there is no age limit. Hence it is necessary to expand the space, otherwise there would be no further possibility to accept children.
There are five full-time staff in the house. The manager and an administrator take care of everything to keep the house running. Both look after the children from time to time as well. A psychologist takes care of the individual aid in cognitive and lingual matters. The other staff are young educators without any formation. They simply absolve a six-month training during which they acquire professional skills. Several voluntary helpers support their work. There is no therapeutical staff in the house.
At the moment, 15 youths are looked after at the house. 3 of them are under 18, 12 are of legal age. The eldest is 30 years old. She sells items produced in the workshop, like pillows, rugs and small art objects, as well as used clothing. Most handicaps are mental handicaps. There is no integration.
The buildings are relatively small. One room is for individual aid, there is some adequate material, but they can’t afford a lot of it. In another small, dark room there is the workshop with a loom and a sewing machine. This room will be renovated with the help of voluntary workers from Ireland. Work began last summer.
The children have breakfast in the kitchen, sometimes they bake cake or cook there, too. The washing machine is in the adjacent room. The sanitary room is not suit for handicapped. There is some sort of fitness room in a separate building in the garden, which is equipped with
different training machines. The garden offers a swing and there is a terrace being built in cooperation with the workshop.
The goal of the institution is to provide children and adolescents without scholastic learning with appropriate education and support, especially regarding autonomy and work (protected workshop).
The pedagogic offer puts creative art education in the foreground. The whole house is coloured and nicely decorated.
The psychologist writes a yearly report on the development. She keeps in touch with the parents, manages the talks with them and gives them advice when needed. Parents bring their children to the examination at Sepsiszentgyörgy once a year. Here their group for special needs is established: 1 is heavily handicapped, 3 shall mean 50% ability to work.
They cooperate with Irisz House in Sepsiszentgyörgy, where handicapped adults are looked after, and establish contacts with other institutions and schools. They are very active in this field. The house is a small, quiet island for these people, who are very lovingly looked after and supported. The adolescents have a good contact with their carers. The staff is highly creative and motivated.
They have no possibility to receive scholastic education; there is no adequate staff. The kids have no compulsory schooling and are not taught in that sense.
Opening hours are way too short, only until 2 pm each day.
Implementation of integration is not possible.
Development Center of Kijen
This institution is an education centre for children with different handicaps. Financing is secured by the state and it’s administrated by the county. This way, support, board, and the children’s’ transport is secured. Parents don’t have to contribute. Once a year the children go on a field trip for a week, to which parents have to contribute with 100-150 RON.The house is big and nicely renovated, handicapped accessible and has a large garden on the village’s outskirts. It’s not possible to reach it by public transport. It was opened in 2008 and it takes in children from the whole county, as far as distance allows. Opening hours are from Monday to Friday from 8 am to 4 pm. Every second Friday of the month the institution is closed to children, as the staff uses that time for internal discussions, planning, briefing and debriefing. There are no admission criteria. The independent manager is psychologically trained. There is a second psychologist, who is responsible for individual support and planning. Each group has two full-time educators.
Furthermore, within the institution there are:
A physiotherapist for 5 hours daily, in order to do therapy with the children 1-2 a week for 30-45 minutes, a full-time social worker, a full-time health assistant, a paediatrician, who visits the institution 2-3 times weekly (depending on the needs), an administrator, who is responsible for administration and transport of the children, and a cook for breakfast and lunch.
As per the manager, they employ educators with baccalaureate, who are instructed by the psychologists and who take part in training, the costs of which are reimbursed and which count as working hours.
In total, there are 33 children in 4 groups. The educators work in a rotating system.
One group is for the 0-6/7 years-old, one for the 6/7-11/12-years-old, and two for 11/12-18 years-old.
Once the children reach legal age, they can’t visit the institution any more. Each group has about 6 children. There is no special integration group. Some children visit a normal kinder garden and come by the institution 2-3 times a week. Children with autism and physical or psychical handicaps visit this centre. Each group has a small room. Some rooms are walk-through, but well equipped with furniture and materials. The psychologist has a small room for
individual therapy. There is a lunchroom for the meals. On the first floor, accessible by elevator, there are 3 big sleeping rooms with 4 beds and a handicapped accessible bath and toilet each. Access to the house is handicapped friendly and there is a playground and covered wooden pavilion in the garden, as well as a wooden swing.
The aim of the pedagogic work is a complex support for the children. Only handicapped children and adolescents are cared for in the house. The idea of integration isn’t pursued. Creative work both by the children and the educators is visible throughout the whole house. Every once in a while they take the children riding. The psychologist writes a report twice a year, after consulting with the staff. This report is handed out to the parents and discussed with them. The social worker continuously offers his help and support to the parents and visits them at home, too (support with applications, etc), to discuss possible ways of development.
Once a year the children are taken to examination to a county hospital. The results are used as basis for changes and extension of the planning. There is no close cooperation with other institutions. The house could use a remedial teacher, which can’t be employed due to financial reasons. Apart from the physiotherapist there are no therapists for the children, speech therapists for instance. The educators have no professional training, but care for the children all day long. There is no compulsory schooling for handicapped children in Romania. Scholastic education is therefore dependent only on the dedication of the staff. Unfortunately, since the opening the rooms for in-house boarding on the first floor are empty, since no further staff can be employed. We have gained a very open-minded, dedicated and caring handling of the children by the staff. Also, playtime on the playground and walks through the village with the children are to be remarked as very positive.
Special school – Saint George, Cosvana
The special school is located in the city of Saint George, in the Cosvana district, Romania. Hungarian is spoken in large parts of Cosvana. The school is visited by Hungarian, Romanian and Sinti children.The first classes were founded in 1980. In September 1987 the school obtained an independent and legal status. Minor mentally handicapped pupils were taught in eight classes. Since 2000 it is alos possible for heavily handicapped children to visit the school. At the same time an offer towards infants was introduced. Cosvana is responsible for the sustenance and the offers. At the moment, 120 pupils visit the institution. Children with minor mental handicaps are schooled in 9 special classes. Those with major handicaps are supported in three further classes (7-11 children). The two special groups for infants are affiliated to two different nursery schools. One of them is located in Arvaska Kindergarden in St. George (10 children), the other group is with Cimbora Kindergarden in Baraolt, which is about 1 hour drive from St. George. (See description Cimbora Kindergarden)
The admission is based on an examination. A commission of medical doctors and psychologists decides on the further form of support after a several day long examination. All employed teachers are special pedagogues. On top of the pedagogues, there are several professional staff: Psychologists, speech therapists, Physiotherapists. Two teachers supervise the children in the three special classes.
The school is well furnished. There are several class rooms, two well visited computer rooms and many therapy rooms. The rooms are large and bright, the aisle in between the classrooms
is broad and adequate for wheelchairs. There was no elevator to be found in the two-story building.
Education and support is based on a programme, which is oriented especially on each child’s abilities. The aim is to support and integrate these children into society through speech therapy, physiotherapy and psychotherapy. The exercises for daily life are implemented by work-therapeutic methods. The children learn to work on a computer and take part in special duties, like gardening. The school focuses on artistic and dance activities. In the afternoon dances they rehearse dances, practise theatre plays and create pieces of art. The dances and plays are performed at various events in the city.
The school cooperates with other schools and kinder gardens. The teachers are very committed. The different offers regarding arts and music are very attractive. So far, however, it is a special school. There doesn’t seem to be a plan to integrate children with special needs into regular schools.
FortSchritt gGmbH
Laura Ház Baraolt – Daily care centre for disabled children and young adults
Claudia Piovano visited the center Laura Ház in Baraolt. Laura Ház is non-profit organization.It is accredited at the regional level for the activity whit the disabled.
It is funded in part by public funds and partly self-financing, and supported by a Dutch non-profit organization.
Working at the center five people, including a psychologist.
Operators are involved in fundraising, administrative management, assistance to the disabled, laboratories, kitchen, meetings whit partents.
A good network of volunteer support center, for example, there is a minibus service to take users from home to downtown and back run by volunteers.
The center consist in a small house with a garden, in the center of Baraolt, accessible only on foot or by car.
It consists of a room to the laboratory (frame and sewing), a room for interviews and individual development for individuals or small groups, a small kitchen and services (unstructured for the disabled). There is a small laundry room.
There is some sort of fitness room in a separate building in the garden.
The garden is equipped with games and an area - under construction - to carry out activities.
The house is well maintained, colorful and comfortable although small for the number of people who attend.
The users are young adults and adults with mental disability who can not attend school, or adults who are most in school age (there is no age-limit). At the moment 15 people attending the center.
In Romania it is not expected to be integrated in school for students with disability.
Users attending the center during the day (8.00-14.00), only in the school-time. The center is close in the holidays.
The aim of the center is working on the autonomy of people and develop their skills.
In cases where it is possible Laura Ház organize paths for entering the labour market in companies in the territories and in nonprofit organizations.
For example, a person working at a second hands store as a clerk.
Operators assist these users even when attending more the center, in an indirect way.
The small size of the city of Baraolt where relationships are very narrow, making possible this continuous contact between the center operators, their users and the family and social context of the user.
The workshops are very focused on crafts and artistics works. Operators have a great imagination and invent constantly new projects.
In particular, in the sewing pillows are made with reused materials and fabrics with hand loom.
In the laboratory the atmosphere is very positive and calm, working in a team with the background music.
Disabled people have a life apart from their peer, Laura Ház looking for some opportunities to create this contact (for example, participated in an international youth exchange, organized a fashion show at a school in Baraolt).
The center collaborates with other similar centers of the enlarged territory.
Special school – Saint George, Cosvana
Claudia Piovano visited the Special School located in the city of Saint George, in the Cosvana district, Romania.Were founded in 1980. It is funded by Cosvana district.
120 young people with mental disability from all over the district attend to school, are placed in classes based on age and ability. The admission is based on an examination by a commission of medical doctors and psychologists, and the staff kept coming to assess the development and iprogressi and decide which are the activities and programs suitable for everyone.
The staff is composed by psychologists, speech therapists, physiotherapists.
Two teachers supervise the children in the special classes.
The school does only a little part of work in collaboration with others public schools, more collaboration there is for younger children in preschool age. There aren’t possibilities to integrate young people with disabilities in regular public schools.
Is not available a bus service, families need to take the kids.
The property is beautiful. It is a renovated villa with a beautiful garden around. It is equipped with many classrooms, gyms for rehabilitation, bathroom, kitchen and mensa. The classrooms are bright and clean and adequate for wheelchairs. There is no elevator.
The aim of the school is: schoolar instruction, support the development of motor ability, and social insertion of young people in society.
There are educational programs and rehabilitation programs and laboratory such dance, music and art.
There is a completely equipped for young people to live in the center (a student residence) at the upper floor. It is very complete (bedrooms, bathrooms)and nice but unfortunately not used because there is no funding for staff.
Diakonia Írisz Ház Sepsiszentgyörgy – Daily care center for disabled people
Ádám Fekete visited the center Diakonia Íirsz Ház, a daily care center in the town of Sepsiszentgyörgy, is frequented by people of a large territory around the city.The centre is funded by the state, is financed by foreign sponsors (German, Austrian and Dutch) and from self-financing (sale of handicrafts products by the users).
The building is modern and nice, has one floor, is large and has a garden.
There are offices, workshops and warehouses. There is a shop to sell used clothes.
There are also rooms for rent.
Most of the structure is accessible to the handicapped in wheelchairs, but not all, for example, the shop no.
The aim of the center is allow disabled people to work and insert the disabled into the labor market.
The users work in handcrafts laboratories ( whit wood, textiles, gardening etc..)under the guidance and observation of social workers, who seek to identify areas of possible development for everyone.
The staff is composed by administrative employees, psychologists, nurses, social workers and teachers and supporter for the manual works.
The staff take a lot of energy and passion to his work, has a lot of creativity and innovative spirit. The atmosphere is serene and pleasant in laboratories. Unfortunately there is not possibility (as in the other services visited) for integration of people with disabilities and their peers.
„Cimbora“ – kinder garden
Ádám Fekete visited the kinder garden Cimbora in Baraolt.The school is funded by the municipality, which covers only the staff’s salaries. The other costs are covered by private sponsors and a little part from family of children.
The kinder garden is composed by 10 groups, some group is active from 8 am to 1 pm and somefrom 8 am to 5 pm. Each group has a room. There are folding beds for sleep time, tables and chairs for the activities. In the room there are areas for games and toys that are given to children by teachers.
In the room the children play sleep and eat.
The rooms are quite gandi and furnishings and sufficient clearances.
There is also one garden with games for children.
For the standard groups the ratio number of teacher-number of children is quite low, but the staff are friendly, and the atmosphere positive.
Is given much space to the manual laboratory, creative: teachers conducts very well and whit a lot of immagination children to produce small works. It is interesting the use of natural materials.
In total more than 200 children attend the school, including a group (currently 7) mentally disabled.
Almost the totality of disabled children with disabilities are in a separate group, followed by a staff of 2 educators and 1 psychologist.
For the childrens in special group is prevue also the therapy: there is a therapy room for play therapy.
Caring for children with disabilities is good but there is no integration with other children even if one of the objectives of the school is to train children to overcome cultural barriers.
Final Thoughts:
The centers that we visited are for the most part equipped, in beautiful buildings, renovated, have staff who work with passion even though they often do not have a specific training.Children and young people whit disabilities are assisted with care, at the same time for the personal and social development and rehabilitation, but unfortunately from the point of view of integration in society there are few opportunities.
PROGETTI Nonprofit kft.
Claudia Piovano _ Ádám Fekete
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