Renovation of an Inclusive Training Center Constructed by Volunteers

The training center dedicated to parents of children with disabilities, their siblings, and tutors is in urgent need of repair!

Join us in reconstructing the center's building, where empathy and inclusion come to life! The subtropical, humid climate of Western Georgia is deteriorating our home, rendering the space unsuitable for conducting educational activities for families raising children with disabilities…

Description and Campaign Goal:

Over a decade ago, we laid the foundation for an educational center. The construction was a collaborative effort involving specialists, parents, and volunteers.

Our Inclusive Practices Center (ipCenter) has been providing essential assistance to over 5,000 individuals with disabilities since 2013. However, after years of active service, the center now requires comprehensive repairs to sustain its mission and create an even more inclusive environment filled with empathy, authenticity, and warmth.

The building sits on a land area of 4,000 square meters, with each floor spanning 320 square meters. It boasts 3 floors: 2 spacious halls, 7 offices, living quarters, and kitchens. Every room features ample space, high ceilings, panoramic windows, and balcony access – crucial elements for ensuring a sense of freedom for every project participant. This unique place has breathed life into the eyes of countless children, provided strength to thousands of mothers, and guided individuals with various forms of disabilities who had lost faith in themselves and humanity. For these individuals, our training center has become a cherished "blue home," tied to dreams, future plans, and the genuine prospect of social integration…

Supporting the renovation of the Inclusive Practices Center not only invests in accessible infrastructure but also significantly impacts the lives of often marginalized and overlooked individuals. Your contribution will help break down barriers and foster inclusive communities, not just in Georgia but also in the countries we collaborate with, including Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Armenia, Bulgaria, Netherlands, UK, Finland, Germany, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Portugal, Moldova, and Kyrgyzstan.

The renovation plan encompasses facade enhancements, interior repairs, window replacements, and new water heaters. We have estimated the total repair budget at $27,349, with $5,500 being critical for the facade repair. This amount must be raised by October 15 to safeguard the center from impending winter precipitation. The building simply will not withstand the harsh winter conditions of heavy rainfall and gusty winds.

This endeavour is of paramount importance for our children's development and the social inclusion of individuals with disabilities. We implore you not to pass by without lending your support. Every contribution matters.

Personal Story: The Place That Brought Me Back to Life

My name is Nargiz Yeldenbaeva. I am a mother of a child with a disability, and I'm also a community development practitioner and a member of an inclusive community.

The Beginning of My Journey: 2015. This was a profoundly challenging period of my life. During that time, I was engulfed in deep depression and a state of psychological despair. The illness of my eldest daughter, the two times she fought through resuscitation, and the direct threat to my baby's life shattered me. The betrayal of my husband and the impending divorce further crushed my emotional well-being and spirit. At that point, my daughter was just four years old. She was in a profound state of autism and suffered from epileptic seizures.

She wouldn't look into my eyes, wouldn't respond to her name, and remained indifferent to my voice. She wouldn't notice if I left or returned, wouldn't embrace me, and didn't acknowledge her little sister… Can you fathom the intense feeling of fear that courses through your body with a cold sweat? It's the fear for your child's future, tiny and helpless, ensnared in the shackles of autism… I felt utterly hopeless, consumed by loneliness…

But I was incredibly fortunate to encounter a team of specialists who were dedicated to developing social inclusive programs for families raising children with disabilities. A surge of strength welled up within me as I connected with these individuals during my training. I started attending sessions and eagerly anticipated meeting fellow like-minded people every day; they became the wellspring of vital energy for me…

Then came the turning point: a trip to Georgia, to the heart of the training center, for a parents' workshop. This marked a crucial moment in my life, the start of a new chapter.

My First Memories of the Training Center: The smiles and radiant faces of specialists and volunteers who welcomed my daughter and me, and a spacious hall where I instantly felt safe. The training and internships at the center yielded rapid results. Real changes unfolded within the walls of this home, for both me and my child! In this space, my daughter played ball with other children for the first time, laughed wholeheartedly, and her eyes met mine – intentionally and tenderly… Countless discoveries transpired within these walls, countless moments of sincerity and kindness.

Through my studies here, I felt alive again! I regained belief in myself and my child. Over time, interacting with children and working with parents of children with disabilities evolved into more than a personal story; it became my profession. Now, our "blue home" is the dearest and safest place for me and my family, brimming with tales of joy, inspiration, and happiness… Here, I wept with joy, experienced the most heart-pounding moments with my daughter. It was within these "blue" walls that my girl uttered the phrase that shattered the glass of autism – she said: "I don't want to be lonely; I want to play with the other kids!" Now, my daughter is sociable, cheerful, and capable… all thanks to the atmosphere of love and boundless faith that envelops our "blue home"… Yet, she still requires daily sessions, with a long path ahead in mental and psychological development…

My mother's heart can't remain calm as I witness the physical deterioration of the house that holds my hopes. Cracks on its façade, torrents of rainwater streaming down the walls during the powerful rains so common in Georgia, fill me with anguish and anxiety… If we don't salvage our training center, there will be no more sessions, no more children's team, no more festivals within these walls, and no more family activities… It's frightening…

Support Us! Prevent the collapse of our center! Every contribution matters. I believe that together, we will breathe new life into the IP-Lab Training Center. Soon, its doors will open to interns, parents, and children in dire need of help, just as I was…