PROJECT: Riding Hall for Horse Therapy Construction
Project Targets:
- Construction of a hall to provide regular horse therapy classes in any weather
- Rehabilitation and improvement of general physical and mental well-being of children with special needs and other disabled persons
- Social adaptation of children with special needs and less able persons
- Social adaptation of the patients of the Men’s Rehabilitation Centre through their direct engagement in caring for the horses and assisting the coaches during horse therapy classes
Target Group:
- Less able children with special needs who stay in the specialised Boarding Home
- Children with various disabilities who stay in the Orphanage in Minsk
- Mentally and physically challenged adults from residential care facilities across Belarus
Applicant
Saint Elisabeth Convent, Minsk. Diocese of Minsk, Belarusian Orthodox Church
Brief Summary (Applicant)
St Elisabeth Convent was established on the outskirts of Minsk in 1999. As a result of its rapid growth, there are 124 nuns and 350 lay sisters in the Convent. Following in the footsteps of their heavenly patroness Grand Princess Elisabeth Feodorovna and inspired by her life and deeds, the monastic and lay sisters work hand in hand in boarding homes for children and adults with special needs, the National Psychiatric Hospital, Municipal Clinical Hospital No. 2, as well as in two charitable rehabilitation centres established by the Convent.
St Elisabeth Convent is a non-profit organisation, which does not receive funding from the government and carries out its activity thanks to donations, sponsorships, and foreign aid.
Brief Summary of the Project (Project Location)
There is a rehabilitation centre located 19 miles from Minsk. It was established by St Elisabeth Convent in 2000 for those who find themselves in a difficult situations (the homeless, newly-released prisoners, drug and alcohol addicts, and the disabled). Little by little, they return to the normal life thanks to prayer and manual labour in the fields and workshops.
As soon as the sisters acquired several horses for the rehabilitation centre, they immediately decided to provide horse therapy for children with special needs. The director of the Boarding Home for Children with Special Needs was extremely supportive of this idea and continues to assist in its implementation. There are 123 children with severe mental disorders in the residential care facility right now.
Equine therapy benefits the children who suffer from severe disorders, which are difficult to treat using traditional methods, including, for instance, Kanner’s autism, intellectual disability, and cerebral palsy.
Social activity, including direct interaction with the elegant and smart animals, lets the mentally challenged children and adults feel worthy and inspired. The children become calmer. They are motivated to change something in their lives and enthusiastic about improvements. We consider regular horse therapy classes for the development of the children with special needs from the boarding homes and the orphanage in every weather to be our primary goal. That is why the construction of a riding hall is so important for us!
We need 144,200 EUR to build a riding hall for regular horse therapy classes in any weather for children with special needs who stay in the Boarding Home and the Orphanage in Minsk, as well as for mentally challenged adults from boarding homes and other charitable organisations. This amount includes a tented riding hall, earthworks to lay the foundation and drainage systems; electrical supply; and laying the ground in the hall.
St Elisabeth Convent and the Sisterhood in honour of St Elisabeth will greatly appreciate your support. We are open to further cooperation and ready to provide additional information, if necessary.