NGO: Psychological Centre ABC, Niksic
Project title: “Let’s get to know each other”
Amount granted: € 4,961.00
Program: Peer support program / Buddy 2
Gathering people “who share unique perspective”, Psychological Centre ABC is an organization established at the beginning of 2010, aiming to improve mental health in community. This organization, through its programs, provides support in promoting the importance of civil society for the development of local communities by fostering prevention, continuous enrichment and development of mental health, education, promotion of democracy, human rights implementation and support of active civil status.
Through this project, that was titled “Let’s get to know each other”, it was provided peer support of 22 volunteers to 38 children with disabilities in array of specific activities as: visiting local Dairy “Proplanak” (glade), lakeside Krupac, cafés, exhibition of pets, alongside to making jewelry from beads during common workshops, encircled with an exhibition specifically named “Mirror”.
Liaisons that were made between children with disabilities and volunteers were behooved, as together they succeed to wake up a community from slumber, pointing how important this kind of support is for this target group.
Through informal mode, which differs greatly from the school curriculum, they were able to create an atmosphere where children felt accepted and were able to demonstrate preserved knowledge and skills. Consequently, this fellowships lead to strengthening of personality of children with disabilities as they were able (through workshops) to identify in which realms they are the most successful. They also gain independence from their parents, and all this has affected on the growth of their confidence and self-esteem.
As activists of this organization said, title of the exhibition “Mirror” was not randomly selected. They hope that reflecting in one another, we were able to slightly lessen social isolation and encourage active participation in society for all of us.
Living out loud is a great way to show people that changes are possible and Psychological Centre used all media tools: daily newspapers, TV broadcating, Facebook page and local portals in order to raise their voice more laudly for good of this marginalized group