Education Serbia Project #26941

Help People with Intellectual Disabilities -Serbia

by Creative Educational Center KEC

Project Report | Oct 29, 2020
Fruit of Our Labor: KEC's Collaboration with the National Employment Board

By Margareta Kecman | Director

After Work Trip to The Zoo

Over the past decades KEC has been at the forefront of efforts to find employment for people with special needs in Belgrade. Its efforts resulted in the creation of a special work module known as work engagement and sparked the push for regular and assisted employment for our beneficiaries. KEC’s entry into the labor market started with McDonald’s and has grown to include over 30 companies, institutions and organizations across Belgrade and almost 200 beneficiaries. Based on the company’s needs KEC matches its beneficiaries with work placement positions. KEC provides all the necessary forms of support, training and evaluation. Its experience in creating and implementing this program made it possible for KEC to become the licensed trainer for such programs in Serbia. Today, KEC helps other organizations implement similar programs in their communities

Through this work KEC has made a lot of fruitful relationships with many companies and cultural institutions. One of the most successful partnerships has been with the National Employment Board (NEB), a government agency overseeing the labor market and employment opportunities. Understanding the importance of employment for people with disabilities, NEB has created special programs for this target group throughout the country.

During much of the Corona period KEC was able to keep some of its beneficiaries working through this collaboration with the NEB. This innovative approach to work allowed 8 people with moderate degrees of disabilities to use their skills and energy to keep the KEC facility clean, assembled and delivered aid packages for KEC families and other necessary tasks. When the KEC center is fully functioning it is inspiring to see one KEC beneficiary at work helping another KEC beneficiary. For now, while COVID lingers, they were at work one at a time in the center.

This collaboration with the NEB is a great stride in KEC’s effort to find a job for every person with a disability. NEB’s recognition that these individuals are part of the potential workforce and creating stimulus programs to entice companies to find positions on their teams is a huge success. It is also a big win, in a society like this, when a government agency is eager to recognize and collaborate with the NGO sector.

Despite the pandemic KEC is moving forward to create positive experiences for people with disabilities.

Spring Cleaning

Sweeping Up

Aid Packages Packed by a Friend

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Jun 21, 2020
SOCIALLY DISTANCED KEC

By Margareta Kecman | Director

Art Workshop from a Distance

On March 11^th the World Health Organization officially characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic. With this announcement the world came to terms with the fact that the virus had reached all corners of the earth. On March 15^tha state of emergency was declared in Serbia and KEC was forced to close its doors. It was hard to tell those we serve, those people who depend on our services, that for their own safety and the safety of those around them they needed to stay at home.

During this global pandemic people have been forced to confront big changes in their daily lives, adapt to the new realities and social losses. Many of our beneficiaries feel this even more acutely. They are scared, confused, bored and lonely. They need to be engaged and supported while forced to practice social distancing.

Recognizing this KEC redirected its efforts to electronic check-ins with our beneficiaries and their families. Our great team quickly developed new methods for connecting with our clients and soon after started implementation. The team’s highest priority in each contact was to maintain empathy despite the distance. During daily online calls, chats or small remote group sessions the counselor, special education teacher, speech therapist, psychologist affirmed to each of our beneficiaries that their fears, anger and distress were valid emotions and helped them cope with them.

In addition to these electronic sessions KEC also helped families with their existential needs. The majority of our families are single parents and many of them barely survive financially in normal times. Like for so many people, the COVID virus has only made survival even more difficult. We managed to collect and distribute 121 food packages for our families.

KEC staff and families are eager for the programs to begin again “in real life” but we are still closed for now. Considering the special needs of our community we are cautious about reopening. We will consult with the authorities about how and when to do this. Until then we will all have to accept the socially distanced version of KEC.

Your help and support enables us to keep providing this support to our beneficiaries and their families. The KEC team hopes that you and your families are safe and healthy.

Keeping Fit with KEC

Social Distancing with KEC

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Feb 25, 2020
The "C" In KEC

By Margareta Kecman | Director

Painting at Table

What are those “creative” activities in the name Creative Educational Center? And why do we put so much emphasis on them that they are even in our name? KEC’s small center and even tinier budget doesn’t have much room or funding for big equipment or fancy materials. But we know that creative activities are important for our beneficiaries’ overall well being. So we need to be “creative” about these creative programs.

Working with various recycled materials, and simple art supplies our beneficiaries produce beautiful works of art that express their inner feelings, gives them confidence and a sense of pride. Some of our beneficiaries have very limited verbal communication skills. This does not stop them from expressing themselves using paint, paper, clay or whatever art supplies we have on hand. Other beneficiaries have limited fine motor skills. A paintbrush or a piece of clay can help them to maintain and even improve these abilities. The artistic work does the speaking for its creator.

KEC’s creative team has come up with a wide range of artistic projects over the years from ceramics to photography. Every year we make unique holiday cards that large companies and individuals buy to send to their associates and loved ones. Our beneficiaries make ceramic works that are useful as well as beautiful. These works are on display in our center and are great gifts for people looking for a one-of-a-kind present. Some of KEC’s works are even on display in public places in Belgrade. Central Gardens, a large scale luxury residential and commercial development in downtown Belgrade, commissioned KEC beneficiaries to make creative works that they incorporated into their buildings.

So, yes of course we are up to the challenge of creating innovative artistic projects for people with all ranges of abilities to enjoy in a small space and with limited funds. With your continued support we will keep putting the “C” KEC.

Clay

Holiday cards

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