The weather has plans of its own, but ours ran to schedule: the fifth AR camp has taken place

It is so easy and pleasant to write about good news. This time too we want to share something wonderful: despite the unpredictable weather this spring, another camp took place at the Western Rehabilitation and Sports Centre.

Let us recall that the active rehabilitation camps are run by the Group for Active Rehabilitation using the methodology of the Swedish non-governmental organisation RG Aktiv Rehabilitering.

Throughout the camp there was a friendly atmosphere, as if the people gathered there had known each other for a very long time. It could hardly have been otherwise: by good tradition our camps take place in the comfortable setting of the Western Rehabilitation and Sports Centre in the village of Yavoriv, Turka district, Lviv region. It is not only the nature around that creates such an atmosphere, but also the welcoming staff who work at the centre.

The fifth AR camp ran from 4 to 15 April 2017. Twenty people with spinal injuries from different regions of Ukraine took part. It was a twelve-day course of active rehabilitation whose main goal is for a person who uses a wheelchair to reach the greatest possible independence from outside help — and so to improve their quality of life and acquire all the skills needed for a full and self-reliant existence.

The programme consisted of five disciplines: wheelchair skills, general physical training, table tennis, archery and aerobics. Thanks to the training, the participants gained new abilities and improved their physical and emotional condition.

Some participants were unable to come with an active-type wheelchair, so chairs purchased within the TEAM project were fitted for them, to let them follow the programme properly. That allowed the participants to master the skills of getting over obstacles fully. Now, with practical experience and with information about their rights, once home they will be able to apply to their social protection department for an active-type wheelchair — and, most importantly, to choose the right one.

The evening programme was no less interesting or instructive. Lectures and discussions answered a great many of the questions that arise for a person after a spinal injury.

The evening entertainment — the organisational game and the disco — was full of emotion and interest. It brought out the participants’ creativity and helped them get to know one another better.

Another equally interesting and instructive session was «Trydodir», held on one of the camp evenings. It taught participants to look after and service their own wheelchair in practice — because a wheelchair is an inseparable part of how a person moves after a spinal injury. If the chair is dirty, people treat its owner less warmly and may not take them seriously.

The games day, held at the midpoint of the camp, introduced participants to Paralympic and recreational sports: boccia, croquet and novuss.

The quest marathon deserves a mention of its own. Its theme, «The adventures of the seafarers», split the participants into ships’ crews who had to find and rescue their friends. It brought a sea of positive emotion, showed how well the «seafarers» can get over obstacles, and drew a great deal of praise afterwards.

On one of the days our friends, the official representatives of INVACARE products in Ukraine, came to the camp. In a relaxed conversation they told us about new assistive devices, and in the evening they were able to talk with the participants over tea and coffee and answer the questions that came up.

And the camp ended beautifully with a farewell party. In a warm and by then friendly atmosphere everyone talked, danced, shared impressions, enjoyed the treats and simply had a good time. The flashmob performed that evening by everyone at the camp was the highlight of the party.

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We want to express our enormous gratitude for the work, the support and the help that made this camp go so well — and without which it might not have happened at all. Thank you to the instructors, who remain the driving force of this movement: people who have successfully integrated into public life after a spinal injury and consider it their moral duty to teach others. And an enormous THANK YOU to the service team for their timely and skilled help throughout the camp. To the Western Rehabilitation and Sports Centre of the National Committee of Sport for Persons with Disabilities of Ukraine — for the chance to hold active rehabilitation camps in a picturesque place fully adapted to the needs of people who use wheelchairs. To the director of this wonderful centre, Myroslava Vasylivna Shperyk, and to the head chef Mariana Mykolaivna for the delicious food and for understanding and helping with our «special» requests. Thank you! To the students of the Lviv State University of Life Safety — for their help meeting the participants, and later at the railway station and when boarding the bus. Thank you! The partner in organising the camps is the Ukrainian Association of Persons with Disabilities «Group for Active Rehabilitation».
To all the organisers — the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine, UCP Wheels for Humanity (USA) and the Ukrainian Association of Physical Therapists. And to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for making it possible to run the camps at a high standard for all our participants.

Our sincere thanks! Together with you we are a driving force.

And in closing, we want to note that all the participants went home with new knowledge, useful skills and excellent spirits. We believe every one of them will use what they learned to improve their own life, and that the sense of inspiration and the drive to make life better will stay with them for good.

The next camp will take place from 27 May to 7 June 2017. Everyone interested is welcome to apply!

We wish you every success!