Moving the Work Along

It is only September in Slovakia but it feels like Autumn as the temperatures are dropping and leaves are falling to the ground. We have been busy visiting several NGO's (non-governmental organizations) trying to figure out how to best help involving (1) service, (2) self-reliance, and (3) sustainability.

We visited and NGO serving 120 disabled children and adults in one facility. With all the variety of mental and physical challenges among this group, how to best help? A plan was discussed involving a ceramic workshop for all the participants to work with clay.

Room selected for ceramic workshop.

Interesting to note, working with clay and creating artistic pieces has great therapeutic value for several mental disorders. Using a pottery wheel to form objects, a kiln to bake, and paints to color the items require time. All these steps help disabled people make small steps in creating a work of art.

Other crafts at NGO

Each piece is unique and builds self-confidence, teamwork, and developing fine motor skills. The NGO has been hoping for planning for 10 years but hasn't been able to get the funding or donations. Upon our departure they were so thrilled with LDS Charities and the possibility to finally have a ceramic workshop.

We have been considering a water project in a village of 900 people.

About 750 Roma people living in this remote community do not have running water. Roma are seen carrying buckets down the dirt roads to a hand pump at the bottom of the hill.

These buckets are filled and the water is then used for drinking, cooking, sanitation, and washing. Some of the Roma people live in shanties or shacks with no utilities or insulation. They cannot get the government to provide water.

An ETP director who works with the Roma devised a plan to allow them to help themselves.

If a family save 2000 euro, they qualify for an 8000 euro loan and the 10,000 euros is used to purchase land and materials to build a small house. They village gives the family a small plot of land to build.

EPT provides a construction manager for advice and to assure proper building. The family provides the labor to build the house with friends and neighbors. At least sixteen homes have been built in this village and more may be built in the future.

But they do not have running water although, the plumbing is put in. This is where a possible LDS charities water project may be able to help. This project is based on service, self-reliance, and sustainability. But we need more expertise, advise, and assistance to get started.

We made a visit to our local Red Cross office. We utilized a couple missionaries and had them explain they are only translating for us. After introductions, the director indicated he knows about LDS Charities. He explained that about five years ago, he was a volunteer and recalls a wheelchair project in the region.

As a volunteer, he was involved in distributing many wheelchairs and recalled they were blue and the name of the church was printed on the back of each chair. He advised he would like to meet with us again and possibly we could find a project to work together on.