Association of Children and Youth with Disabilities (Bell)
Name of the organisation: ZVONO – Association of Children and Youth with Disabilities (Bell)
Adress: A. Hebranga, 12, 31551 Belišće, Croatia
Contact person and position within the organisation: Mira Anić, President of the Association
E-mail: zvono@os.t-com.hr
TEL/FAX: ++385 31662 535
OIB: 80574606030
HRK bank account: 2340009-1110127243
Foreign currency account: 703000-002002
IBAN HR41 2310009 1110127243
SWIFT: PBZGHR2X
The goal of our organisation is to improve the life of children and young persons with developmental difficulties. Support to parents to include children and young persons with developmental difficulties in the social care system and to educational process.
Improvement of life quality and meeting work, cultural and educational needs. Development of social and other skills required for active involvement in the community life.
Encouragement of independency and employment with support. Promotion of inclusion.
Establishment of the organisation was initiated by parents having children with developmental difficulties., from town of Valpovo and Belišće. Zvono was established at September 18th 2003.
Our Mission: To provide high quality standards and improve the life of children and youth with development difficulties and their families through organized and sustainable assistance of entire local community.
Our Vision: Children with development difficulties socially integrated into the local community which accepts them as valuable community members. Our community highly sensitive provides equal opportunities to all their members, especially those with special needs. Children and their families incorporated into state social care system according to high EU standards. The organization operates at the local level in the micro-region of Osijek-Baranja county covering 2 towns (Belišće and Valpovo) and two neighboring municipalities (Bizovac and Petrijevci).
When it comes to children and youth with special needs, there is no organized assistance except the day care program provided by Zvono. Nearest and only school for handicapped children with adjusted school program is in Osijek, which is 30 km away and for most of the children with disabilities not reachable due to high travel expenses. Other than that, our beneficiary group has no other program available, specially not any program based on inclusion. According to the center for Social Welfare in Valpovo, which is formally covering our targeting communities, there are around 100 registered persons with disabilities, among 60% are children and youth (under 30). Another 10-15 young persons are coming from the Petlovci municipality , totaling 70 potential prime beneficiaries of our program.
The target group involves young persons with difficulties and their age-fellows attending higher grades of elementary school and those attending secondary school. Our organisation brings together young people with various difficulties, from physical disability to mental retardation, in the age from 7 to 21. There are 20 users in program “Half-day stay” and 10 users at home that requires visiting at least 2 times at week. For all this activities there are 2 educators.
Children and young persons with difficulties are isolated from their local community due to their specific needs. Their age-fellows are reluctant to accept them because they are not informed about the problem and they have prejudices. In order to mitigate and eliminate such situation, interactive education of both population groups is required. Through interactive workshops they learn a lot about each other, they recognise the values of tolerance and acceptation
Zvono was granted a concession from “Hrvatske šume” (state forestry company) for an empty house at the very bank of the Drava river. The house location is favorable for picnic and various recreational activities. This house is renovated and equipped to serve as a Youth center with attractive activities not just for handicapped children and youth, but for other youth in the region (CITADELA).
Special sets of educational activities are designed by professionals targeting children and youth with special needs and they include:
- Interactive workshops developing skills in basic house works (cooking, cleaning, sewing etc.)
- More complex sport activities (use of fishing tackles, driving boat etc.)
- Development of awareness on environment protection
- Art therapy
- Dance-ability
- Music therapy
All these activities are supervised by specialized coaches following the latest trends in education and rehabilitation. Youth activist from the youth center also serve as volunteer assistants in implementing some of these activities with handicapped youth and children.
Implemented projects and programs:
- Like I’m home (Kao da sam doma), 2010-2013., program
Financed: Ministry of Health and Social Care
- Like I’m home (Kao da sam doma), 2009-2010., project
Financed: Ministry of Health and Social Care
- Independent living school – Home sweet home (Škola samostalnog stanovanja – Moja kućica moja slobodica), 2010,
project
Financed: Ministry of Family, Veterans and Intergenerational Solidarity
- Ring a bell festival and school of volunteering (Festival Zvoni zvono i Škola volontiranja), 2010-201,
project
Financed: Ministry of Science, Education, Sports
- CITADELA, 2010
Financed: City of Belišće
- Employment Agency CES – Public work, (HZZ Javni radovi, „Citadela“), 2010
Financed: Employment Agency CES
- Employment Agency CES – Public work, (HZZ Javni radovi, „Citadela“), 2010-2011
Financed: Employment Agency CES
- CITADELA – Social Employment Centre for Disabled, EU IPA project, 2010-2011
EU –through this program our Association have a extempt from VAT, With the VAT act, and you can read it in article 27. VAT act „Narodne novine“ Pravilnik o porezu na dodanu vrijednost.
- „Cashmere“ – project fuodned my IDEMO, 2011-
Strengthening the newly established association of Roma women
Events:
• Ring a bell festival- Hear us (Festival Zvoni Zvono „Neka nas čuju“)
• Nest of a thousand eggs (Gnijezdo 1000 pisanica)
• Pumpkin Festival (Festival bundeva)
• Advent at Citadela (Advent na Citadeli)
Volunteering in Zvono:
Working with volunteers: involvement of volunteers in the program of work, participation in protected workshops, participation in events organized by the association,
At association “Zvono” it is included in the thirtysix (36) volunteers aged 15-42 years. They all have signed voluntary agreements with the organization, job descriptions and regular records of volunteer hours worked. Volunteers of the FY 2010 carried out the 5013 volunteer hours.
At Zvono Association in 2010 it is included 20 new volunteers.
Activities:
- work in the program with users;
- working in the kitchen
- Work in protected workshops
- help with landscaping
- Work at a summer camp”Citadel”
Education:
- Being a volunteer, organized by the Volunteer Center of Osijek
- “Sexuality of people with special needs, ” Djakovo
- Educational workshops in Zvonu””
- “Zvonaši have needs, and you?”
- “Volunteers in building peace and tolerance”
- Supervision of volunteer work
- Regular meetings with the volunteers twice a month
The award for volunteers – a three-day trip to Istria for 16 volunteers
Awards :
Silver medal for the jam at the level of Osijek – Baranja County, 2010
Regional and national awards for volunteering from National Committee for Volunteer Development, 2009
The prize for the best activity of the Association of society „Our Children“ Croatia, Ring a bell festival, 2010
Božica Šomođi educator in association Bell won a local prize, awarded by the city Belišće, Declaration of Belisce for outstanding contribution and work with children and young people, 2010.