Therapy for children with disabilities takes time—a long time. This is also evident at the two-week day camp, as Nikoleta, head of social and medical services at NG Albania, reports: “In the beginning, when we started the camps years ago, we had to teach the children how to interact with one another at the basic level. Back then, they would lash out at each other, fight,
scream, or run away.” Today, that’s hardly an issue anymore; respect and mutual support prevail.
Considering that the participants have physical or intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, or Down syndrome, that’s quite an achievement. The summer camps are an important component of the support provided for the therapy group.
„Now we’re in a new phase. The big challenge is to prepare them for adult life—for the harsh reality of a time when their parents will no longer be there for them.“ says Nikoleta.
In Albania, very little is expected of people with disabilities; they’re cared for as best as possible, but kept out of social life. That has to change for our group. Here, they receive help with the things they can’t do on their own. But in return, they also learn to be there for others.
„It’s wonderful to see a child with autism help an adult woman with physical challenges—taking her by the hand and guiding her to her seat. In this way, they come to understand that they, too, can contribute and be part of the community.“
Each of the 14 participants (12 teenagers from the therapy group and 2 women from the social projects) is assigned tasks at camp: they decorate and set the table, serve meals, clean up, and help one another. They really come alive while doing this.
Of course, there’s plenty of time for fun and games, too. Absolute favorites are the wild water fights and a day at the beach, but also the field trips, the many group games, and the awards ceremony at the end. In every game and every competition, a different person was named “best.” This year, we even discovered a real talent at table tennis! Everyone went home proudly with a gold medal.
Hardworking Volunteers
The program is very intense for Nikoleta and Anila from the social services team. This time, they seriously wondered how they were going to manage it all on their own. Help came from a completely unexpected source—a student at Nehemia School. Dioneo, Anila’s son, asked of his own accord if he could help out. Nikoleta is thrilled: “Dioneo was perfect! Full of energy. He instinctively knew how to handle the group, how to approach each person, and when to say ‘stop.’ We didn’t even have to explain much to him. When we’ve had volunteers in the past, they usually couldn’t keep up with the pace for long. Not so with Dioneo—he stuck with it until the end, joined in, and took care of each person. He must have been born with that talent.”
The fantastic support from all the other staff on campus was also exceptional—whether cooks, custodians, or drivers—everyone treated the participants with respect and did their best to make the camp a success. The participants felt that too; it clearly did them a world of good.
And What About The Parents?
The families are very grateful for these summer camps: “Why don’t you run the camp for 1–2 months? Then we could finally relax for once and take care of ourselves and the rest of the family.” Many parents told us: “After a day at camp, my child comes home, falls into bed, and falls asleep immediately. No more games on the phone, no restlessness, no aggression. In the evenings, we can go out together; the child is balanced and calm. It’s completely different from usual.”
For now, it’ll probably stay at two weeks a year—but those two weeks make a huge difference in these families’ lives. It‘s worth the effort!