Communities in Serbia
Organisation “Evo ruka” - Inclusion center “Meeting Point”
GOOD PRACTICE TITLE: Organisation “Evo ruka” - Inclusion center “Meeting Point”
KIND OF PRACTICE: Inclusion center for families with children with disabilities
DOCUMENT AUTHOR: Housing Center, Aleksandar Bajić, Ana Knežević
PLACE: Belgrade, Serbia
CONTEXT, FIELD OF INTERVENTION:
The Inclusion Center "Meeting Point" in Zemun Polje was launched in 2013 with the aim of providing conditions for the development of sustainable social protection services and improving the quality of life of children with disabilities and their parents in that community. Zemun polje is a suburban settlement, away from Belgrade 20 minutes by car and very inaccessible in terms of services, therapy for children and other necessary support. The idea was to provide a place where parents would exchange their experiences and needs, and children would have a safe base for growing up and further inclusion in the community (self-reliance, habituation to cohabitation and quality leisure time). All children who are beneficiaries of our center attend regular or special schools, differ in their disability and social status. The initiators and founders of the center are parents. Parents organize and initiate activities, professionals are included in accordance with program plans. Given the increase in the volume of activities from different areas, there is a need for professionalization.
Inclusion Center "Meeting place" consists of: large yard (8 acres), ground floor houses (two study rooms, bathroom, two kitchens and terraces), a special building for the production of winter beds, two greenhouses (500 m2), permaculture garden, mini nursery located on a plot of 10 acres, near the center. For sports and other activities, we use the nearby sports field that the locals arranged for themselves and give us the use.
The entire concept of work is carried out mostly on a voluntary basis, involving children of the regular population and other interested citizens, especially those belonging to the category of additional vulnerable (single mothers, families on the verge of existence, pensioners, young people, persons with disabilities, etc ).
All activities that are being implemented are aimed at empowering individuals in every field (from economic to emotional and social aspects). The idea is that users and activists encourage each other and help others, as well as themselves.
Starting in 2015, the organization begins production of greenhouses in greenhouses, 2016 production of home-grown mattresses in order to provide revenues for the sustainability of the Inclusive Center and additional empowerment of its users. The goal is to form a company in the future that will be able to fully financially support all the planned programs of the organization
and form a community for the independent housing of persons with disabilities (up to 6 people) who will be hosts of the existing economy.
PERIOD:
june 2013 - present
POPULATION, PARTICIPANTS:
The primary beneficiaries of the Inclusive Center are primarily children with disabilities school age and members of their families and young people with disabilities. Support for the implementation of the programs is also provided through the programs of the National Appointment Service, which is why the beneficiaries and members of the category of the weight of the employed are: young people, persons without qualifications on the verge of material existence. In organizing the idea, the business owners were parents of children with disabilities, but in Serbia it is hardly feasible in practice because of the lack of state support for general functioning. Participants of the program are on a voluntary basis, employed in socially responsible companies. Throughout the year, the organization conducts volunteer actions where they make winter goods (strawberries and ajvar jam) and thus contribute to sustainability and thus become familiar with the life of the family of users:
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Children with disabilities
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Parents
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Volunteers
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socially responsible companies
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Persons belonging to the category of hard-to-employ people and on the verge of poverty
COORDINATORS:
Ana Knežević, director, organisation “Evo ruka”, Beograd
METHODOLOGY (HOW THE PRACTICE WORKS):
To start and initiate the opening of such a center in the community, it is necessary to bring together stakeholders and parents of children with disabilities. Since the formation of the gathering space, the campaign has been conducted on a daily basis, with regular activities with children with developmental disabilities and their parents. A network of support for the Center has been built up by various companies to implement their volunteer programs for our children and the local community.
PARTICIPATORY PROCESS:
After the establishment of the Inclusive Center, activities are developed according to the needs of the beneficiaries, the financial possibilities of the center and the interests of the local community.
TIME TO BE SUCCESFUL (HOW MANY TIME THE PRACTICE TAKE TO ACHIEVE THEIR OBJECTIVES):
It has been 2 years since the start of the campaign to open the center until the establishment of the center. After 5 years of successful functioning of the center, the organization has its own place where the hosts meet, social entrepreneurship, agricultural production, machines for quality production of pasteurized products and a plan for the next 5 years.
VALIDITY (IF THE PARTICIPANTS THINK THAT THE PRACTICE RESOLVED THE PROBLEMATIC):
Over the course of these seven years, the participants throughout the process have changed. Some parents came and left empowered to return, some were present all the time and some did not find their place in our program.
IMPACT:
The program has expanded in the area of disability and support for inclusion, the development of the local community, sustainable development and the area of social entrepreneurship.
INNOVATION:
The model is innovative because the center that brings families with children with developmental disabilities is launching its own agricultural production of organic products, including its users and launching sales of products for the self-sustainability of an inclusive center.
RESOURCES OR CONDITIONS NEEDED FOR THE PRACTICE:
Space and land for cultivation, strategic plan, networking with socially responsible enterprises, family motivation, finance, knowledge of local community
LIMITATIONS:
Financial resources for capacity expansion and procurement of equipment, insufficient number of socially responsible companies, legal regulation that does not support social entrepreneurship, ...
LEARNED LESSONS: :
People who initiate the establishment of such a concept must be aware of the long-term development of this kind of work, and parents must remain the "owners" of the idea and implementation of the entire project. Assemble a large number of volunteers and network well with existing organizations (youth, women, educational, ...) that could support programs and planned activities. Permanent presence in the public and on social networks, and carefully planned and regular fundraising campaigns. The ultimate goal of the gathering is to help children with disabilities and developmental disabilities develop positive inclusive practices. In considering the circumstances under which some people remain and some leave, they have realized that it is important that users share common values. It's becoming increasingly common for people to associate with people with similar interests and life philosophy, but they do not have children with disabilities.
SUSTAINABILITY:
During the development of the entire concept of the Inclusion Center due to limited finances, it was concluded that it is necessary to ensure self-financing and the future for self-sustainability. Until recently, the organization rely solely on project financing. From 2015, the focus is on the development of self-sustainability and social entrepreneurship. Members of the association, if they are unemployed, and want to work independently, are encouraged to start their own entrepreneurship. Within the association, members engaged in the production of handmade work and want to participate in some kind of association. The plan is to launch a social
cooperative and a women's enterprise in the future. The association in its statute has the activity code for the production of fruits and vegetables, which enables this kind of future. 100% of the revenue generated by the sale of winter goods and handicrafts is directed to the further development of the organization's independence and the initiated programs.
REPLICABILITY:
This form of work is easy to carry and can easily be developed in smaller communities with additional adjustments.
CONCLUSION:
This type of concept is a long-term development project that deals with the formation of micro- communities related to any area of social security. The Inclusion Center has succeeded in becoming instead of the seeker of assistance and support becomes the one who provides that assistance. This gives members of the association extra strength and motivation.
CONTACT (PRACTICES AUTHOR AND ORGANIZATION):
Ana Knežević, Director
Dobrovoljnih vatrogasaca 2, Zemun polje, 11080 Belgrade
Tel. +381 62 327 877