According to its 2015 Programme for Work, the Republic Center for Support of Persons with Intellectual Disability – PORAKA, in the period from 22 to 27 of June and from 20 to 25 of September 2015 organized and conducted sports and recreational activities for the beneficiaries of the day centers of the Republic Centre – PORAKA.
As a result of the positive effects from conducting the sports and recreational activities in the past years, the Republic Center for Support of Persons with Intellectual Disability – PORAKA has foreseen organization and realization of two of this type of activities in its 2015 Programme for Work.
The main goal of these sports and recreational activities is to promote a new form of inclusion of adolescents with intellectual disability in the society through sports and recreation and contribution in the development of the independent living skills for these persons. Also, these activities offer opportunities for improvement of the psychophysical condition of the beneficiaries with intellectual disability.
The first sports and recreational activities in 2015 were held in Struga, in the Center for Education of the Red Cross “Solferino”, in the period from 22 to 27 of June 2015 and the second ones were held at the same location in the period from 20 to 25 of September 2015.
The sports and recreational activities included persons with intellectual disability, beneficiaries of the day centers managed by PORAKA in Skopje and Radovis. The conduction of these activities also included leaders of the teams (personnel from the day centers) and professionals from the Republic Center – PORAKA.
Sports-recreational activities provide a number of different opportunities: development of the sense and spirit of competition among adolescents with intellectual disabilities; the experience of being part of a sports team, while feeling the unity of the team; motivation to compete and win, but at the same time experiencing and dealing with defeat in sports games.
On the other hand, these activities represent opportunities for the personnel of the day centers to be 24 hours together with the beneficiaries of the day centers, allowing them to understand the life rhythm and behaviour of each person with intellectual disability.
Furthermore, the observation of the beneficiaries in a new environment, without parental influence, offers the personnel new insights regarding the possible improvements of the independence and self-esteem among the beneficiaries and the unselfish support and friendly behaviour between themselves, which cannot be perceived during the activities in the day center. Moreover, these activities provide opportunities for improving the personal hygiene skills, social interactions skills etc.
The sports activities were divided in the following disciplines:
– Athletics (competitions in running and jumps in distance),
– Competitions in small football,
– Competitions in basketball;
– Competitions in rope pulling and darts.
The recreational part of the programme included different games, drawing, as well as parties with music and dancing in the evenings. Thanks to the good weather, on several occasions in the afternoons, the beneficiaries were able to recreate at the beach.
It may be concluded that the goals of the sports and recreational activities were fully realised. The beneficiaries of the day centers were actively included in the sports and recreational contents, and the personnel from the day centers of the Republic Center – PORAKA had opportunity to find out important information regarding the behaviour of the beneficiaries outside the day centers. This will be of enormous significance in their further work within the individual work with the beneficiaries and improvement of independent living skills.
