Project financed with the support of RO10-CORAI, 2009-2014 EEA Grants funded program managed by the Romanian Social Development Fund.

maspa

Within MASPA project – Measures to promote non-discrimination and social inclusion in schools, community and labor market for people with autism focusing on the roma communities  it was organized by the  Romanian Angel Appeal, the promoter of this program, the first of the two scheduled summer camps this year in the project.

The period of this first camp was 10-14 July and the location was in Moieciu, Brașov county, a piqturesque area, where relaxation combines with nature. This camp was destinated to children aged between 7 and 19 years old who are suffering from autistic spectrum disorders. Their parents and sisters or brothers also took part at this camp.

Of the total number of young beneficiaries (15)  11 of them were children with ASD and the remaining 4 were typical children. The families were selected from Arad, Bucharest and Galati, all of them being implementation counties in MASPA project, developed with the financial support of the RO10-CORAI programme, funded by EEA Grants 2009-2014 and administered by the Romanian Social Development Fund. The main selection criteria of the families were: age of the child with ASD, the degree of independence of the child and the ability to relate with a new group of children, family involvement in the therapeutic process, finanacial status etc.

Also, a number of 10 volunteers and 2 organizers have accompanied and coordinated them in the camp in order to achieve various activities to relax and have a good time.

During the camp the organizers have prepared a programme of activities for the children both outdoor and inside the camp. During the activities the children have been assisted and supported by the volunteers team, while their parents were participated to training sessions and workshops developed by experts from Iceland, also parents of children with ASD. The main topics of these workshops were: managing difficult situations with the ASD child, prioritizing therapeutic interventions depending on the needs of the child with ASD, creation of a local initiative groups to advocate for the rights of children with ASD etc.

The first day of the camp (July 10) it was destinated for participating families and volunteers to know each other and to be easier to choose how they want to work. Thus after the knowing each other session organized on the speed dating model, each family received a volunteer who took care and assisted their children during the activities.

The program of activities began the second day of the camp. During this period, the children alongside volunteers had developed, in the first part of the day, a lot of outdoor activities (hiking, horse riding, sports games) and in the second part of the day, they took part in various indoor activities (DIY activities, painting on t-shirts, clay modeling).

Also, in one of the days, a surprise had been prepared for the children. They alongside their parents were taken to the Zoo. The kids were excited and about for two hours they admired the animals and took pictures with their families and their volunteer. Anothers surprise was made in the final night when the volunteer team organized a surprise party for children and their families where a lot of pictures and games have been made.

The camp which ended Thursday (July 14) represented for the children and their families a good opportunity to relax and to meet new people and even to create new friendships between families or between volunteers and families.