Last Friday, November 8th, System & Generation volunteers had the opportunity to visit the facilities of the Engelsiz Yaşam Merkezi in the municipality of Etimesgut, Ankara. This centre offers care for people with functional diversity of all ages and provides care, rehabilitation and workshops with families. S&G volunteers participated in various activities with caregivers, children and adults at the centre.
Personal testimonies of our volunteers:
Gianluca from Italy: “This day at the centre was a totally new experience for me ,but at the same time really educational . We were divided into groups to follow the various activities at the centre and I had the opportunity to participate in the sports club and from painting .It was really educational to see how teaching techniques were being applied to people with disabilities. In the painting lesson I followed the teacher's instructions to best convey the commands for people with disabilities . In the sports lesson ,we played table tennis together with the differently abled people and afterwards we went together to the centre's gym . I will return there very gladly to follow the other activities of the centre as well.”
Klaudia from Poland:“First, I was taking part in an art class, where me and a few people from the disabled centre were drawing and colouring some pictures. Then, we went to a ceramics class, where we had a chance to learn a lot of useful artskills.”
Pablo from Spain: “The experience at the Engelsiz Yaşam Merkezi was very pleasant and pedagogical. The visit to the facilities gave us a glimpse of the necessary attention that a person with functional disability requires and all the opportunities that can be offered to them. We were able to participate in several workshops together with the teachers where we could see the different ways of working that are used depending on the degree of disability. Personally, I was able to help in the robot workshop, in the kitchen and in various sports. It was definitely a very nice experience.”
Ida from Denmark: “On Fridays, we head towards the Disabled Center that houses disabled persons and facilitates a broad range of activities and workshops that– as the name indicates– makes the users free of their disability by focusing on what they can, instead of what they can’t. It is a very giving experience to sit next to two girls who color a Picasso-drawing with the colors they like while smiling proudly to us volunteers, sitting next to them with curious eyes on their drawings. It is also a heartfelt joy to be welcomed by the ones passing by in the hallway or the ones waiting for some ‘kahve’ or ‘çay‘ at the cafeteria. There is a good, safe, and peaceful atmosphere at the center, which does not only benefit the users that come there every day, but also those of us who come there once a week to work as volunteers. Furthermore, it is a creative space where fantasy and imagination is allowed and set free. So, this place does not only make the disabled people free from something, but also free to do something.”
Sheri from Albania: “Etimesgut truly impressed me as a place that convincingly demonstrated the importance of providing the right environment for rehabilitation. Architecturally and design-wise, it was perfectly crafted to ensure successful accessibility and inclusivity. Together with our volunteers, we had the opportunity to engage in a variety of experiences, exploring workshops and classrooms where individuals with disabilities were actively engaged in meaningful work. The entire setting was a testament to the commitment to empowering and supporting those in need."
