Find out how staff training is helping Alex

The main request of the Rain Kids charity in Chişinău, Moldova, was for staff training. They offer therapy to children with special needs and are acutely aware of how low the level of professional skills are in Moldova. We are funding their chief therapist, Ana Cislaru, to take an eighteen month training course to qualify her as a supervisor in ABA therapy, so that she will be able to offer training to their other staff. Due to a lack of suitable training in Moldova, the course is provided by a Romanian charity and is accessed largely online. Here Ana explains how her training helped her plan the programme of therapy for Alex.  Despite a difficult start, she was able to find the key to his progress. Incidentally, the stigma attached to autism is still so high in Moldova, that many families do not want photographs of their children to be used publicly. We respect their wishes, but sincerely hope that one day autism won’t be a source of shame or embarrasment to families in Moldova.

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“I’m glad I risked it” – care-leavers go hiking

This year, with the summer camp base out of action because of water shortages, Sunflower organised a day-hike for a group of care-leavers. This was no ordinary hike. The group had to be prepared for a long day, travelling deep into the countryside by train and bus, and cooking over a camp-fire. As ever, not everyone who was invited was able to negotiate the time off work, but a small committed group gained a great deal from the adventure.

group of young women cooking over a camp fire.
Continue reading “I’m glad I risked it” – care-leavers go hiking