Center for Support of Persons with Intellectual Disability – PORAKA Stipconducted the activities for observing 3 December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in the period 1st -3rd December, in accordance with the recommendations given by the health authorities regarding protection from COVID-19. Several online workshops were realised and the first one was with Zoran Nastov, professor in DMUC “Sergej Mihajlov”. The users of the day centre were introduced to the work in the secondary music school, as well as with some of the musical instruments. During the workshop with Sonja Maneva from NU University Library “Goce Delcev” from Shtip, the users of the day centre had the possibility to present their creative abilities and make different handicrafts. At the online workshop with Milena Ristova – Mihajlovska fro Euro-Art Academy, they again had the possibility to be creative in an art workshop “Reach out your hand and sing a song”. Dr. Marijana Gjeorgjieva reminded the users from the day centre about following the health protocols for protection from the Coronavirus. They also had the opportunity to meet online the users of the day centre of The Republic Centre – PORAKA in Prilep. At this meeting they all exchanged their experiences about the activities in the day centres and their gained knowledge. All activities were covered by the local media TV Star, TV Iris and Kanal plus.
The Centre for Support of Persons with Intellectual Disability – PORAKA Radovish observed 3 December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities by following the UN guidelines and this year topic “Building Back Better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 World”. Considering the actual situation with COVID-19 pandemic and WHO recommendations, the users of the day centre stayed at their homes together with their families in order to protect their health. The engaged person at the day centre, Tatjana Kostadinova, gave an interview at the local media. She stressed the meaning of this day for all persons with disabilities and talked about providing maximum support for them during this pandemic. She emphasised the work at the day centre during the actual situation, by following the measures and protocols, and also said that we still need to raise public awareness regarding provision of equality and respect for the rights of persons with disabilities. In this way we would be able to provide their inclusion in all aspects of society life. She expressed gratitude to all the supporters and associates in the work of the organization and the day centre.
According the recommendations given by the Republic Centre – PORAKA, and considering the actual situation, the Centre for Support of Persons with Intellectual Disability – PORAKA Veles organized a workshop to observe 3 December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. During the workshop, the participants made 100 bookmarkers. The bookmarkers had pictures of children/persons with disabilities at the front side, and this year’s topic for observing the day “Building Back Better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 World”, as well as PORAKA Veles’s logo were at the back side. The bookmarkers were given to all members of PORAKA Veles and other persons with disabilities from municipality of Veles. Also, they were given to the pupils who won at this year’s art workshop organized by POU “Maca Ovcharova”.
The Centre for Support of Persons with Intellectual Disability – PORAKA Bitola,this year observed 3 December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities a little bit differently, but responsible and from home. PORAKA Bitola realized inclusive and accessible workshop through the social media titled “Simple and sincere message”. The creative workshop was organized from 3rd till 5th of December on the FB page of PORAKA Bitola with given topic “Building Back Better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 World”. Participants posted videos, handicrafts, drawings at the FB page of PORAKA Bitola, which expressed the possibilities of persons with disabilities. The best five posts (posts that had most likes and shares) received Acknowledgements and a T-shirt and a hat with the logo of PORAKA Bitola. The workshop had many participants from Bitola and also from other municipalities in the country. Pupils from the primary schools “Todor Angelevski”, “Kliment Ohridski” and “Trifun Panovski” from Bitola, and “Slavejko Arsov” from Shtip took part as well. Also, there were posts from Skopje, Ohrid, Prilep, the students from the Faculty for Pedagogy in Bitola, psychologists, special educators, artists and poets, photographers, associations. All these interesting and creative posts reached our goal: sending “Simple and sincere message” for non-discrimination, friendship, living together, solidarity, humanity. Creating together a happy and sincere society that cares and appreciates all persons equally. The traditional action for blood donations has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For observing 3 December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, The Centre for Support of Persons with Intellectual Disability – PORAKA Prilep organized several online activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On 01.12.20202 two workshops were realized with pupils from the primary school “Kocho Racin”. At the first one, the pupils and the users of the day centre created drawings on the topic “How am I imagining the COVID-19 virus”, and at the second one, they made different handicrafts. On 02.12.2020 there was an online meeting with the users of the day centre of the Republic Centre – PORAKA in Shtip. At this meeting they all exchanged their experiences about the activities in the day centres and their gained knowledge. An online meeting with a health professional from the emergency medical service in Prilep was held on 03.12.2020 where participants discussed about the COVID-19 virus, the protection measures and proper use od the protective equipment. During this meeting, the health professional demonstrated how to put on and wear the protective mask. The users od the day centre had the opportunity to be introduced with the Macedonian singer Alen Hasanovich. The meeting was held online on 07.12.2020 and they all had the possibility to sing Macedonian songs, as well. On 08.12.2020, the users of the day centre met online a football player, who talked to them about different types of sport, the importance and benefits from the sport, and also discussed about creating healthy habits.
The Centre for Support of Persons with Intellectual Disability – PORAKA Gevgelija,as the other local organizations, observed 3 December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities with online activities through the social media. Supported by the volunteers of PORAKA Gevgelija, persons with intellectual disability, users of the social club, made different handicrafts at their homes. These handicrafts were posted on the FB page of PORAKA Gevgelija. Also, in the past period, texts and messages were posted by parents and persons with intellectual disability, which had the aim of raising public awareness regarding the needs of persons with intellectual disability in everyday life, but especially now, in a situation with pandemic.
Following the UN recommendations for observance of 3 December, the International Day od Persons with Disabilities, and considering the epidemiologic situation with the Corona Virus in Skopje, The Center for Support of Persons with Intellectual Disability – PORAKA Skopje realized several activities. On 03.12.2020, in cooperation with the Centre for Performing Arts and Education “Pi Theatre”, opened an exhibition of installations/drawings of persons with intellectual disability, users of the day centres of the Republic Centre – PORAKA in Skopje. The exhibition is set on Philip II Square till the end of January 2021. On 18.12.2020 online music concert was held with participation of users from the day centres together with the artists from Pi Theatre. The concert was followed by the premiere of the documentary film “Laughing Windows”. The main protagonists in this film are users of the day centres of the Republic Centre – PORAKA in Skopje. The filming, production and directing of the documentary film was made by Pi Theatre.
The Centre for Support of Persons with Intellectual Disability – PORAKA Strumica, observed 3 December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities with several activities aimed towards raising public awareness about the importance of continuously improving the position of persons with disabilities in the society, and faced with challenges in front of us at the moment, i.e., the COVID-19 pandemic. Namely, faced with this pandemic and the high level of precaution and in compliance with the measures, recommendations and protocols for work, the traditional event was not held this year. The activities were reduced to online activities, media campaign and interaction through the social media, radio and TV stations. Therefore, a mini campaign was realized, in which the members of the social club, persons with intellectual disability, presented 4 short stories, written on hammer paper. The members presented these short stories in a way that one person is holding the papers and the other one is telling the story. These short stories consisted of personal characteristics of the two persons involved. The end of each story sent a message for promoting the rights and freedom of persons with disabilities in society. At the end, after the stories have been told, all members are in one video clip and they all have transparents with written messages about the protection in a situation of pandemic and advices for preventing the spread of COVID-19. These short video clips were made by a professional and were posted of the FB page of PORAKA Strumica and the local web portals, as a part of the online campaign. At the same time, a TV report has been prepared with a combination of all abovementioned video clips and a brief announcement about the meaning of 3 December, which was broadcasted in the central news of the regional TV station Kanal VIS. Moreover, on 3.12.2020, a representative of PORAKA Stumica was a guest at the radio station Marija Makedonija and discussed the importance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the challenges that persons with disability still face in different spheres of society life, and especially in a time of pandemic, then about the current activities and future plans of PORAKA Strumica. During December, the campaign will be complemented with infographics, which consist of information about the activities of PORAKA Strumica in 2019 and 2020. Also, on 03.12.2020, the activities at the social club were implemented following the health protocols and measures. The members and their parents had the opportunity to see the video clips and to discuss the implemented and the planned activities, as well as the challenges they all face at home during this pandemic.
