I.Metshin: “We will create conditions for the development of special-needs children in all districts of the city”

Sixty special-needs children will learn basic self-maintenance skills in the first training apartment in Tatarstan.

The first training apartment for children with intellectual disabilities in Tatarstan has opened in Kazan. Children learn basic activities, preparing for independent adult life. Ilsur Metshin, while communicating with the parents of special children, instructed to open similar apartments in every district of the city.

A training apartment for children with intellectual disabilities is a new project of the “Prosto drugie” municipal public organization. In the apartment, children learn basic skills: cleaning, washing, sewing, cooking, caring for flowers, etc. Each of these activities requires a lot of effort for them, but such training will allow them to become more independent in regular life or lead an independent adult life in the future. The project is being implemented with the financial support of the Presidential Grants Fund, the Executive Committee of Kazan, which allocated an apartment on Zakieva Street, and the administration of the Sovetsky district, which helped with setting up and provided necessary equipment.

Today, four certified specialists and 4 volunteer tutors - 3rd year students of the Kazan Pedagogical College- are working in the project.

The mentors of the project are already receiving the first feedback from parents: after classes, children began to show interest in housekeeping – they help in washing, cleaning and cooking.

According to the plans, 60 children aged 10 to 16 years will take classes in the training apartment during the year.

The training apartment is equipped with furniture and necessary home appliances.

“The course will last for eight weeks, this is enough for children to get prepared to independent life. Now we are faced with the fact that there are more children who want to participate in the project than we can accept, the need for classes in the apartment is high”, - Svetlana Safiullina continued.

Ilsur Metshin thanked the head of the organization Svetlana Safiullina for such a project and said that it would be implicated in all districts of Kazan. “This project of a training apartment is certainly unique, its benefits can hardly be overestimated. What we do easily in everyday life, requires a lot of skills for special-needs children. The project is important not only for children, but also for their parents, it will be a great help for them”, - the Mayor of Kazan said.

The decision to open new apartments was supported by mothers who came to classes with children.

“Presently, we pay special attention to children with disabilities. Inclusive groups and classes are being opened at kindergartens and schools. Sports venues are equipped with accessible environment equipment, volunteers work there to help parents. A leisure center has opened in the Ekiyat center. It is important that we have conditions in the city for the development of special-needs children”, - the Mayor said.