Dancing with the Dolphins

The last project meeting took place in Izmir, Turkey, again.
We had the usual meetings and talks, the visit to our friends at Sabahat center (where many new things are in place and work for the kids here) and the preparation of the end of the project and the final product.
But I don't want to talk about these things! I want to talk about something rare and fantastic. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The chance to see and to work with the dolphins!
We have visited a dolphin centre in Kusadasi, and we have reserved a session with the dolphins, their trainers and the dolphin therapy specialists.
First, we have seen the dolphins providing the therapy for some disabled kids. Unbelievable! Fantastic animals, and incredible work!
After that, we have talked a bit with the trainers of the dolphins (two of them from Mexico, with 9 years of experience!), and then we have entered the pool with the two male dolphins. Fantastic feeling! What bright and smart animals! What a pleasure to touch them to dance with them (yes, we did it!), to sing with them and to ride them! They are really amazing! We could have stayed with them forever! Or liked to, because the time had finished so fast!
Finally, we have spent quite some time with the specialists in dolphin therapy, people from Poland and Russia. They have explained us many things about this work, the results of the therapy, the efforts and knowledge involved, the kids they worked with etc.
A special day and a time to remember all our lives! Thank you, Turkey, again!
Daniel

Animal Therapies Made in France

We had the opportunity (myself and Andrada, my colleague from Esperando) to make a study visit to France this April. Just after Easter. In small projects financed by the European Commission, under LifeLong Learning Program.
We have visited several organizations. But one of the most interesting visits was the very first one, at IFZ - The French Institute for Animal Therapy. Mr. Francois Beiger, a captivating character, has shown us his way of working with animals for the benefit of the disabled children, and also of those with social and behavioral problems.
A pleasure! A pleasure to listen to him, and to see his work! He is also training dozens of specialist every year, from all over Europe, in this new and fantastic field.
What's his philosophy? Simple: that every kid is a special one and each of them can do magnificent things, just with a little help from his friends. Especially if those friends have four legs and can't speak!
Also, Mr. Beiger things that in a place like this, with animals that help in therapy, there are several kind of animals needed. This way, if the kid doesn’t feel like working with one of them that day, they can turn to other animals instead.
And finally, the work doesn't consist only in the direct interaction with the animal. The animal can assist the kid in his lessons, reading or other educational or psychological tasks, just by staying around. And the triangle KID - SPECIALIST - ANIMAL makes wonders!
It was another perfect opportunity to learn and find out more about how we can help better our kids. Hopefully, we will apply the findings soon in our work at Esperando.
Daniel

More Animals to Help the Disabled Children at Esperando

Following the findings during the project activities and the visits to our colleagues and partners, we have decided to put some of those findings in practice at Esperando.
Therefore, we have got for our kids a Guinea Pig, some canaries and a pair of rabbits (well, they are now lot more!). That is apart from the squirrel that comes from time to time to visit them from the trees around our court-yard.
The kids have a great time petting and playing with the small friends. And they also work better having their pals around and tend to take care of them, feeding them and looking after them.
Interesting how some very small beings can change so many things in the work and life of the disabled kids!
Yet, we still have many things to learn and to do in order to use the full potential of the animal therapies!
Daniel

Verona Again

The project is in his last half of a year. We have came back to Verona and our Italian friends. Stefano, Tullia, and all the other wonderful partners made again a great job here.
A pity the Turkish partners couldn't come. We have missed them.
But we still worked a lot. There's not much left of the project, and we still have a lot to do!
The best part of the meeting was the visit to a nice special school, where, among work with honey and bee boxes, we have seen animals taken care of the kids and youngsters in the special school, and, even more interesting, a session of dog therapy made by some of the best specialists in Italy! Very nice work, very good results. Very interesting for all of us! A great place for the children, with people dedicated to their work and to the young persons with disabilities. A pleasure to be there and to know those people!
Daniel

The Big One, in Romania

The meeting in Romania, in Baia Mare, was scheduled so that we all could attend and even have presentations in the annual International Conference of Esperando Association, dedicated to therapies for disabled people.
A great opportunity to learn, first of all. Because all the presenters were asked to have, apart of the theoretical views, a practical demonstration of the therapies shown. And, among those presentations, a lot were about animal therapies. We have seen dog therapy made in Romania, but also horse therapy from Hungary and from the USA. Probably Charles had the biggest number of questions and comments, with his lovely Spirit Horse program.
We had also time, after the conference, for more talks on the project and what's left to do. Still a lot to do!
Our friends from abroad got to see Esperando Day care Centre for disabled children and youngsters. But also our work in Botiza village and, at the same time, some of the traditions and places that make Maramures such a special place in Romania and Europe.
A time to remember!
Daniel

Sometime, in Hungary

Szentes was the next stop of our project. Iren made another show with his super-horse Kajas. Another opportunity for us to ride Kajas, but, more then that, a perfect opportunity to see what constant and hard work, combined with professionalism, can do with disabled kids: make them stars and super athletes!
We were amazed by the exercises the kids produced. In my opinion, they were better then many circus acrobats I have seen! On their own, in pairs or three at the time, they have done on Kajas back things that a few years ago they couldn't do on straight soil! AMAZING! Great job, Iren!
The rest of the meeting was again work and work. All together, we have added more and more to the website and to our project. Very nice statistical and documentary presentation from Italy. And very good work the Hungarian survey of the animal therapy used in Hungary.
It was somehow shocking, especially for us, the Romanians, and for our Turkish friends, because we had a hard time finding places where animal therapy is used in our countries! In the meantime, in Hungary there are hundreds of places for it. Especially for horse therapy. But then, again, Hungary has a special tradition and culture of the man-horse relationship.
Daniel

Juliet's Verona

The second project meeting was scheduled in Verona. And that's how we came to meet Stefano and his colleagues. And his dedication to the work.
A lot of work in Verona! with laptops, with projectors, with white boards and markers. And we have got also the chance to select the logo for the project. Great job done by the Turkish partners!
Another thing we have seen, some of us for the first time, is how a web site can be built. Stefano started our project website, and worked with us for it.
But we also had the time after the work! And Verona is a magnificent place to walk around. To see all that history on every wall and every street, to walk under the balconies that inspired the most tragic love story of all times, to see statue of the wonderful Juliet, this is more than enough to compensate for the hard work during the meeting.
The visit to an animal therapy center was promised for the next visit. So, see you!

Daniel