SOFT Tulip News and anouncements of SOFT Tulip http://www.softtulip.nl <![CDATA[Ukraine Parents of disabled children visit the Netherlands, 22 - 28 of April 2012]]> ]]> The delegation consisted of Ms. Oksana Pylyp and Ms. Oleksandra Molodkina (translators), Ms. Olga Pryntsovska and Ms. Svitlana Rusych from the parents' organization NADIA from Uzhgorod, Ms. Iryna Nester, Ms. Lyudmyla Annych from the parents' organization VID Dzherelo, and Mr. Myroslav Nykolayev, director of Dzherelo Rehabilitation and Day Care Centre in Lviv.
The Ukraine parents were accompanied by René Hubregtse, director of the Dutch parents' organization Helping Hands and Eric Bloemkolk, director of SOFT Tulip. Also Noor van Loen, from the Dutch organization of parents BOSK, Natasha Dobrova-Krol from the SOCIRES Foundation, and Alina Teplova, Rehabilitation doctor joined the program.
The parents received an introduction in the basic laws and policies that give fundaments to the Dutch long term care system, its financing and the relations between government, NGO service providers, client and parents' organizations, associations of professionals and knowledge centres and insurance companies.
During the week support services for people with disabilities (on living, working, education) were visited, like the Facet multi-purpose centre from the Pameijer Foundation and the Lelie Care Group in Krimpen a/d IJssel, the living facility Haagse Bluf and the Garden Centre Dorrepaal from Steinmetz/de Compaan, the living facility I am at home from Philadelphia, the premises of the Helping Hands organization, the special school Thermiek and the Rehabilitation Centre Rijnlands in Leiden.

Delegation receiving explanation at Facet

All members of the delegation were inspired by the quality of the services, the motivated, friendly and professional staff and the impressive results of their work, supporting persons with a (mental) disability to be full participants of society with a high quality of life.
The contacts with the Dutch parents' organizations and to hear how they have struggled to be recognized by Dutch government and professional workers, to influence policies, and to have good services for their disabled children in the Netherlands inspired the Ukraine parents and gave insight in the fact that in spite of the material differences between Ukraine and the Netherlands the position and experiences of parents are very similar and recognizable.
The support towards inclusion of persons with a disability, like supported living and work, is a new theme on the agenda of the Ukraine parents and contrasts strongly with the old Soviet based practices of the medical approach and institutionalisation of disabled people.
The visit gave them inspiration, concrete methods and practices and hope for better services and a more inclusive future for their children and of will stimulate their work as parents' organizations, supporting other parents in similar situations in Ukraine.

Visiting private home in Krimpen a/d IJssel

 

]]> 11-05-2012 12:00:00 <![CDATA[ISF partner ACASA congratulates David van de Velde]]> ]]> Moldovan ISF partner ACASA congratulates David van de Velde after his withdraw from the boards of the International SOFT Federation and SOFT Tulip for all his work. [> Read the letter...

]]> 11-05-2012 12:00:00 <![CDATA[Compliments for SOFT Tulip from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands]]> ]]> The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands approves and compliments final report on the Ukraine Matra project: Improving the quality of life of services with disabilities in Ukraine.

In its closing letter dated the 15th of March 2012 of the Matra project: 'Improving the quality of life of and services for children with disabilities in Ukraine', the Ministry of Foreign Affairs evaluates the results of our Matra project in the following way (translation from original Dutch text):
"It is with satisfaction that we have observed that the programme has generated an effective change in the policies for care and support for handicapped children in Ukraine, and also, that the capacity of the involved institutions and NGOs for care for the handicapped has been increased. The Dzherelo Centre has developed itself to a national training centre. The final conference in September 2011 contributed to the visibility and the durability of the results of the project. Thanks to your programme, the care for children with a handicap has been improved in a structural and durable way. I consider this to be a very positive outcome."

]]> 19-04-2012 12:00:00 <![CDATA[<a href="index.php?a=Debrecen_2012">Report, and other materials, on the International Conference on Work and Inclusion</a>]]> ]]> Successful International Conference on Work and Inclusion, Debrecen - Hungary 16-18 February: The Report, the Debrecen Declaration, the Program, the List of Participants and Presentations are all available.

]]> 17-03-2012 12:00:00 <![CDATA[SOFT Tulip cooperates with Russian NGO Perspektivy]]> ]]> On February 21, 2012 SOFT Tulip and the Perpektivy Foundation from St. Petersburg - Russia (see: www.perspektivy.ru/en) signed a contract to support the trainings of experts and the work of volunteers who intervene in the 'internats' for severely disabled children and teenagers living in the Pavlovsk Children's Home No. 4, building No. 4, and in the Peterhof Residential Psycho neurological Home No. 3 were children go when they turn eighteen.
The situation in these internats is very similar to those we are already working on in Ukraine and it is SOFT Tulips' aim to built up further ties and cooperation with Perspektivy.
SOFT Tulip is able to support Perpektivy due to the generous donation from a private sponsor.

]]> 22-02-2012 12:00:00 <![CDATA[Matra Ukraine project: Final conference in Kyiv]]> ]]> Summary of the process of change 2008 - 2011, Presented by Eric Bloemkolk during the final conference in Kyiv, September 28, 2011.

]]> 01-02-2012 12:00:00 <![CDATA[International Conference Work for All]]> ]]> In cooperation with the Socires Foundation, the International SOFT Federation and the Debrecen University Medical and Health Centre, SOFT Tulip co-organizes the International Conference Work for All, 16 -18 February 2012 in Debrecen - Hungary. For the latest update of the program and registration please visit the Conference Website

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