Nadacia Krajina Harmonie

I just got back from a fantastic evening at 'The Foundation' or Nadacia Krajina Harmonie as they say in Slovak. This is the organization which plans activities for people with special needs. I have been going there a couple hours a week and each week is a blast. I really love it! On Monday evenings they hold what they call 'club' and it's a gathering of people with all kinds of disabilities (mosty adults) and volunteers from the community. And what happens at these gatherings? Well, we drink tea, eat cookies, share about our week, and play games. It is just an all around good time and it makes me very happy as it's a sweet reminder of home. I even told Mariey today "yeah, what you just experienced there is exactly what my family is like. EVERY SINGLE day." But I love it and really do miss the craziness and hustle and bustle of it all.

Today was a special club meeting though. Today we had a Carnival! There is one guy volunteering in this organization from Brasil. He has been in Slovakia for 8 months now and works in the foundation on a daily basis. So he suggested we have a club meeting themed as a brazilian carnival. Thats where the inspiration came from and the rest just followed suit. The basement was packed with people all dressed up in funny costumes. There was loud music, dancing, and carnival games, and then finally a parade around the building. It was hilarious being a part of it all and genuinely enjoyed myself. All the people are absolutely precious! As well last week One man with Down Syndrome served Halusky to two French men. Why would he do this you may ask? I know it's a strange combination....but it was his dream. Last year the staff at the foundation had all the clients write down their dreams-whatever they may be. So over the past months they have been working to make everyone's dreams come to true to the best of their abilities. Mayo's dream was to serve halusky (a famous slovak dish) to some french men so they had to French volunteers come in and eat halusky with him. It was one man's dream to go to chile and since they couldn't afford to actually send him to chile they had a travel agent come in and do a presentation on it. Another woman's dream was to meet the judges on Sloval Superstar (the equivalent of Canadian Idol) and so they arranged for one of them to come in! It's really a neat thing they have going and don't you worry, I am most definately thinking of ways I could possibly recreate it in canada.

Aside from Club the foundation also organizes a number of other activities. There is painting, dancing, and art classes, movies on friday, and futbal on sundays. I haven't had the opportunity to see all the different sessions but I would like to at somepoint. This organization is also responsible for the Chalupart I spoke so fondly about a couple of posts ago (the one where I ventured into the sauna...)

I've come to know the founders of the organization quite well now and have discovered they are really fantastic people. It is an older couple who founded it and who still run it today. They now have three grown children who help immensely with all the activities. Over the years it has become quite a significant part of the community not only in Slovakia but in the whole of Europe. Not only does it provide weekly communities to residents in Zilina but it also is the basis of the Jolly Festival held each September. I think I've spoken briefly about this festival in past posts but it really is something worth mentioning. It is an international festival held each year in Zilina where people from across Europe come to celebrate people with disabilities. There are dramatic productions, painting workshops, music, dancing, fashion shows, and so much more all put on by people with special needs. Each year hundreds of people gather and join in the festivities and it makes for an incrediably special atmosphere.

I am incrediably happy I have found this organization, because if it wasn't for this and the english school I don't know how I'd get through the week. It's funny because sometimes I start feeling down and out and I don't want to do anything but crawl back in bed and sleep but when I find myself in a place like Nadacia I am instantly recharged. I'm happy I've found something so special to be a part of. And having been away from the world of disabilities for so long and then being re acquainted with it only affirms my love for it all. After spending a few short hours there doing the things I love I don't feel washed out anymore, it re ignites my fire, and picks me up.