Kondopoga’s inclusive summer activities

Posted on By Sarah.SGF

This year, the summer camp started on 6th June and the Parish is planning to continue summer activities until 31st August before children return to schools in September. 

Currently up to 18 children benefit from the summer camp, 15 of them are disabled children with a range of disabilities: learning disabilities, autism, cerebral palsy, eyesight problems, heart and lung conditions and 4 children are from poor families. All came from the Kondopoga region, the youngest is 6 years of age and the eldest is 15. 

At the beginning of the camp, there was a slight problem with finding volunteers, which  has now been resolved – 2 people help in the kitchen and 3 help run summer activities. One of these volunteers came from ‘ Zabota’ (Care) social centre. 

Every day is organised differently, with different activities such as sewing, drawing, clay modelling, educational games and outdoor games. The camp is also somewhere their parents can get advice, consultation with specialists and volunteers at the Parish and most importantly moral support and a boost to their family budget. Depending on the weather,  lessons are held outdoors and this helps to boost the children’s physical stamina. Masterclasses are held for children to create their own masterpieces in needlework, drawing and applique. Everyone is particularly excited to spend time with Danae, the dog of one of the volunteers who made friends with all the children last year. The children enjoy joining in theatre performances too. 

The Parish is also planning to provide children with school supplies for the new school term.  

Deaf club helps Yunes prepare for kindergarten

Posted on By Sarah.SGF

When Yunes first came to the club for deaf and hearing impaired pre-school children in January his family was struggling with his behaviour.  Now just a few months later we see a huge difference in him, and his mama does at home too.  This will help him enormously when he startes kindergarten in September.

Read more: Deaf club helps Yunes prepare for kindergarten

Yunes comes from a bi-lingual family and he uses a cochlear implant.  When our colleagues first met him he was almost two and a half years old.  Yunes found it very difficult to sit still, he didn’t play with other children, he didn’t keep to any rules and he didn’t react to sounds or to speech.

He regularly came to the club we sponsor with his mother.  This is a weekly playgroup with specific support for deaf and hearing impaired children. The club includes a music session, snack time, craft activities, free play and specialist support to adjust hearing aids. Since coming to the club, Yunes’ behaviour has changed a great deal.  All the activities are designed to help the children tune into their surroundings.  This has certainly worked for Yunes.  Now he pays much more attention to what is going on around him.  He watches closely what other people are up to and learns how to use the toys and the musical instruments in this way.  He doesn’t just copy movements, he has also started to repeat sounds including individual syllables from some of the songs we sing together.  He has learned to play with other children and joins in with all the activities we organise.

We love it that at the end of an activity Yunes helps put the toys or instruments away.  He also really enjoys helping get ready for snack time.  He puts the cups and plates on the table and helps clear away at the end.

His mama says that at home Yunes has learned how to listen and understand what his parents are asking him to do.  She has learned to see his strengths and both takes pleasure in and praises Yunes for all his little successes.  We are delighted to see their relationship strengthening and Yunes developing the skills he will need to be happy and to make further progress at kindergarten. 

Thank you for making it possible for us to support Yunes and his family.