In the frame of Working Program 2009, the Republic Center for Support of Persons with Intellectual Disability – PORAKA, in the period from 22nd till 25th of June 2009, have organized sports and recreational activities for the clients in the day centers of PORAKA.
Taking in consideration the positive effects of sports and recreational activities in the past years, the Republic Center for Support of Persons with Intellectual Disability – PORAKA, within the annual Working Programme 2009, has foreseen two sports and recreational manifestations.
The first sports and recreational activities in 2009 were held in Struga, in the Education and Recreation Center of the City Red Cross Skopje, in the period from 22nd till 25th of June 2009. Participants were adolescents with intellectual disability – users in the day centers managed by PORAKA in Skopje, Radovis, Kumanovo and Ohrid, accompanied with the leaders of the teams (personnel from the day centers), as well as professionals from the Republic center – PORAKA.
Sport and recreational activities offer many different possibilities: development of the sense of and spirit for competition amongst the adolescents with intellectual disability; experience to be a part of a sport team feeling the unity in the team; motivation for competition and victory, at the same time experience to cope with being defeated in sport games.
On the other hand, these activities give good opportunity for the personnel of the day centers to be 24 hours together with the clients in the day centers, which allows them to understand the rhythm of life and the behavior of every person with intellectual disability. The observation of the clients in a new environment, without presence of parents, give an opportunity to the personnel for new insights regarding the possible improvement in the independence skills and self-esteem among the clients and the unselfish support and friendships between them, which cannot be perceived during the activities in the day centers. Because of the rainy weather conditions, the competitions in athletics, rope puling, swimming and the activities on the beach were not realized, but still, the users had an opportunity to compete in football and basketball. The recreational part of the program included: different societal games, drawing, parties with music and dancing in the evenings. Also, the users visited Struga and the new facilities of the day center – PORAKA in Ohrid.
