Supporting Families with Disabled Children

Covid still largely determines our everyday life. 

Nevertheless, we try to make our special guest children and their families forget the daily routine here at Kupferhof and give them a nice time.

Due to contact restrictions and lockdown most of the events cannot take place right now. This makes it all the more pleasant that some activities are possible on site at Kupferhof (of course under strict hygiene measures):

• Tiergestützte Pädagogik “Wolkenmobil” (animal-assisted education)

When “Wolkenmobil” is invited, Kupferhof appears even more colorful. Everyone is looking forward to the various animals, such as dogs, hens, guinea pigs, giant snails.

It´s been proven again and again, that animals can make us smile without words.

Some kids dared to touch an animal for the very first time. Others managed to calm down with the animal´s support and could relax.

• Musiktherapie (music therapy)

Music is a good way to release or to express emotions especially for children with complex disabilities.

The kids cannot even hear the music, but can also feel it. The vibration of the different sounds provides an opportunity to feel their body and contribute their well-being.

• “Clowns im Einsatz” (Clowns at Work)

Whenever the clowns stop at Kupferhof, there is dancing, singing and especially laughter everywhere.

Our special kids seem to become weightless. The clowns contribute the general well-being, following the slogan: Laughter is the best medicine.

These activities are only possible thanks to your donations, thank you very much!

May we introduce: Thea, Helen, Anna and Nils.

These four are currently completing a voluntary social year at the Neuer Kupferhof in Hamburg.
Most of these committed youngsters support the institution's teams during this time for three months each in the areas of care, education, kitchen and house / garden.
In order to help them get used to the situation and to give them a deeper insight, an orientation day “The Neuer Kupferhof as a workplace” was launched. Premiere day was on 10.10.2020.

In the morning there was a tour through many departments of the house, the afternoon was all about raising awareness for work in the areas care and education, including role reversal. Our four young helpers learned what it means to care for a child with a disability, but also what it feels like to experience the simplest everyday situations as a person with a disability.

What should you watch out for when feeding? How important it is to stay focused on the child, also to show them that they are valued. And how do I get a deaf and / or visually handicapped child to open the mouth at the right moment? The same applies e.g. whilst brushing teeth. Our guest children are not like all other children. They are special.

Anyone who has ever kept occupied or looked after two or more children at the same time knows that they seldom do what they're supposed to do. In this regard, our special guest children are in no way inferior to “normal” children. However, their disability does not make it easier for the carer ...

Due to the role-reversal games, Thea, Helen, Anna and Nils found out first-hand what it means to master simple everyday situations with a disability. How helpless you are, how it feels to be dependent on outside help for so many things, what great trust you have to have in your carer.

For example, it was felt to be particularly difficult to be fed as a supposedly visually impaired child. Opening your mouth on command, not knowing what is being fed (sweet, salty, etc.) if this is not communicated by the carer. Or to have the feeling of only being processed on the side when the carer is distracted and not concentrating on the child.

The list of empirical values could be expanded considerably.
The experiences of Thea, Helen, Anna and Nils have shown that caring for children with disabilities is a specific responsibility. A challenge that the parents of children with disabilities master daily, every single day and every night.

These are our voluntary young heroes - all four complete the voluntary social year as a gap year and for orientation between school and studies:

Nils (19 years)
Would like to study mechanical engineering and can later imagine to use the knowledge acquired during the studies in the production and development of wheelchairs etc.

Thea (18 years)                                                                                                                                                                                                   Would like to use the time as an orientation time as she does not yet have any concrete job ideas.

Anna (18 years)
Applies for the dual study program "Advice for Education, Profession and Employment",
because she found it difficult to choose a profession and would like to help others in the same situation going forward.

Helen (19 years)
In the meantime, she has decided to do an extra-occupational education in order to become a curative nurse. She will start her apprenticeship next year at the Neuer Kupferhof.

It's great to see that there are always also young people who care about the needs of people (and especially children) with disabilities and are ready to help, understand and learn.

Thank you so much to all of our young volunteers.