Very first SCI workcamp in Kyrgyzstan

Sep 142012

Тhis year SCI-Germany started cooperation with a new contact in Kyrghyzstan, ADAC (parents of disabled). Below is interesting feedback of the coordinator of the first international workcamp that they organised with SCI Saadat:

The summer work camp in Kyrgyzstan was a big success! Thanks to all management team and SCI and national APDC volunteers we organized the huge summer activity for kids and parents of APDC in Issyk-Kul! That was really hard to make fundraising… A lot of potential sponsors refused to help us because that project did not look sustainable. So, despite all these refusals we could find sponsors who trusted our ideas!

We were really excited to be the very first hosting organization in Central Asia for SCI volunteers! That was really great experience for all of us! My future plan is to enhance cooperation APDC and SCI in other Central Asian countries!

That was interesting experiment to do such international work camp in KG. Both SCI and national APDC volunteers were so helpful, they were working all the time: playing, preparing concerts and swimming with all kids. Despite the kids had disabilities that was very easy to find common language for all of them! At the same time, they communicated with all parents, also helping them to do their stuff. Thanks to our psychologist volunteers and campleaders we were able to make a schedule for camp and every one was involved into working process.

During our work camp there were psychological consultations for parents. Our 2 psychologist volunteers were helding 1 hour sessions almost everyday. As it’s supposed, that would help to parents to handle that stress and other kind of worries about their child`s disability.

That was 1 consultation for parents with experienced lawyer. She is from APDC staff and that was important for our parents to get an advice from lawyer who had a practical skills in disability sphere.

The first 2 days SCI and APDC volunteers were on preparation seminar on dissability which was given very briefly. After seminar we went to Issyk-Kul to participate in our work camp. We held our camp in rehabilitation center for children. As I said, all days were full of activities! There was no time to take a rest!
Also you can visit our web site www.kelechek.kg and find schedule, more detailded information

The children were actively socializing with all participants and parents as well. Also we helped the kids to be prepared for new school year! All our activities within this camp were like a lesson for our future initatives!

And I started planning a new work camp for kids with special needs. This time the main component of camp would be home-based training. And I really looking forward to meeting new SCI and our kyrgyz volunteers in our new camp!