“Evo Ruka” is an association of parents and friends of children with developmental disabilities which cultivates social activism and connects with the community in order to provide specific assistance to families, children and to develop positive inclusive practices. It was founded in 2011, in Belgrade.
Our activities are focused on providing support to children and parents. We provide support through councelling, day care, development of social enterprenuership. Along with that we deal with prevention and reduction of poverty, economic encouragement, establishing links and contacts with other parents and organisations all over Serbia and representation.
All this we do in order to create conditions for indpendent, accepted, dignified and certain future of our children. We are working on developing sustainable system of support for them in local communities where our children live and grow, in our case in Zemun and Belgrade.
In 2013, we established our Inclusive Centre “Mesto susreta (The Meeting Place)” with the aim to develop programs and services designed for our children. For the users this is a base location for learning, rest, understanding, playing and fun through practical activities which give results. In 2015, we initiated our own production of vegetables in greenhouses, and in 2016 we started with production of pickles, chutney etc. This program is still developing and operates on the principle of social enterprenuership.
Through “Evo ruka” programs aimed at our users we cherish development of our children and the entire community where we act.
We teach children skills of living such as food making, hygiene, knowing and using different tools. We make usable items and decorations from different materials and by different techniques, we grow vegetables. Through daily recreation we promote health, strengthening our bodies and spirits, and we learn how to accept ourselves for who we are. We reveal and develop our talents, learn to live in a group respecting and cherishing uniqueness of each individual. Using traditional recipes, we produce our own vegetables and make food products which we sell and then invest all incomes from this into further development of our centre and services.
This year we more then ever need assistance in funds for sustainability and development of the Centre, and to hire specialists to take care and work with children and parents, as well for additional equipment in the Centre.
If you can and wish to contribute to improvement of the quality of life of children with deveopmental disabilities and to invest in sustainable development of inclusion, please contact us.
At this stage, when we are developing our ideas, assistance is highly required in order to hold out.
Sincerely,
Ana Knežević,
President of the Association
