ADRA helps in Pohorelska Masha
The Help team bus is parked in the yard of the DSS and for two weeks a group of our volunteers is helping there.
Our goal is to help the DSS staff in caring for our clients, who are 120 girls and women with varying degrees of physical and mental disabilities. During this difficult year, the staff has struggled with the covid-19 pandemic, which has also affected this facility. Most of them have not yet had the opportunity to take a few days off, or even a holiday. That's why we want to relieve them for a while and help them care for the clients.
We also have experienced social workers, an educator, a nurse and other volunteers on our team who have helped even in the worst months of the pandemic in the DSS and already know how to do it...
Most of the staff and clients who were advised by the doctor have already been vaccinated and the spread of metaldehyde has stopped here. Nevertheless, we all respect the strict anti-epidemic measures because we are aware that the immunity of these people is very fragile.
The DSS has several facilities where clients with varying degrees of disability are placed.
In supported housing lives a group of women who have created a community capable of taking care of themselves under the supervision of social workers. Our volunteers organise workshops and various leisure activities for them, aimed at developing memory, good expression and practical skills. We quickly became friends and had unforgettable moments together.
We also took a day trip to the countryside together and our painters have painted all the rooms, kitchen, hallway and bathrooms so far. It's not exactly easy in full operation, but by the evening everything was back in place...
In the second branch in Pohorelská Maša lives a group of girls and women with a lower degree of disability. For them we also organize various leisure activities, games and workshops aimed at developing their abilities. The guitar is a great help, because singing and music is a real medicine.
Branch at Červená Skala is a place where a group of severely disabled, mostly recumbent patients are placed. Working with them requires an individual professional approach and it is really challenging. With some it is possible to do some movement activities, with others we have been looking for a way to get their attention, at least for a while, and to find things they can respond to.
DSS in Pohorelska Maša is located in the former manor house - the family seat 
The Coburgs. The old buildings are in constant need of repair and renovation. It really took a lot of work to sand and paint the roofs of the gymnasium and warehouses. But this form of volunteer help is also much needed.
We also helped to replenish the stock of disinfectants, disposable diapers and other medical supplies, which we received thanks to our sponsors and partners (ADRA Austria).
Conditions for a humanitarian camp.
DSS has created the conditions for our team to function independently. In a separate building we have a gym with sleeping couches, a toilet, a shower and a storage room - a small kitchen. The Help team bus was used as a base. Some volunteers brought their own tent.
In the evening there is an opportunity to sit together, share experiences from work and prepare other activities. Sitting around the guitar and doing activities together helped us to form a real team.
When the volunteers were rotated after a week, the clients wouldn't let them go and chanted: „Don't take Petrik away from us, don't take Anna away from us...“
Working for people with physical and mental disabilities is really hard, you hit rock bottom, sometimes we had tears on the edge... this work is really meaningful. That's why we greatly admire and appreciate the DSS staff - these extremely dedicated people who don't do it for 14 days during the summer like we do, but selflessly serve here for years.
We were able to organize the humanitarian camp thanks to the financial support of many small donors, whom we thank for their dedication.
You can support the project financially to the public collection account:
SK83 8330 0000 0028 0179 0152 VS:2021004
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