The inclusive cafe-shop "Kosytsia" in the Vilshany Children’s Orphanage attracts more and more visitors, including journalists. This time, the guests of the new workshop were the team of the online magazine about Zakarpattia VAROSH.

The journalists were treated to delicious coffee, told about the concept of the institution, and introduced to the cafe staff – Edita, Pavlo, Ihor, Eduard and Fedir. Communication with the orphanage’s wards, who have been working in "Kosytsia" for 5 months, perhaps impressed the guests the most. Journalist Kateryna Mayboroda asked about the young people’s impressions, emotions and plans...

According to Edita Meloyan, working at the café-shop has expanded her skills, and now she not only creates very beautiful things in the workshop, but also knows the types of coffee drinks, how to package handmade products, and perform the functions of a barista, waitress, and saleswoman.

"Since I started studying at "Kosytsia", I’ve become more confident, and my circle of acquaintances and socializing has increased", says Ihor Lakatosh.

Despite the fact that the boy is in a wheelchair, he is a skillful waiter and knows everything about the café-shop’s assortment.

Fedir Mihovk is known not only in Vilshany, he actively maintains pages on social media, talking about his life and events at the orphanage.

"I’m at the cafe almost every day. Even if the workshop is not open according to the schedule, but someone wants to have a coffee here, people call the director, and I can come to open the place and serve people. I’ve been here since the first day, back when we were training. This job is important to me, as it is important to others. I am responsible for both coffee and order", says Fedir.

The media not only saw the work of "Kosytsia", but also visited the workshops where, together with labor training instructors, the wards create dishes, decor, postcards, textiles, candles and other exclusive items. After the April master classes with Swiss specialists, the range of craft products has expanded significantly, especially in the pottery workshop. Now you can see new cups and vases, sets of dishes, large dinner plates, fruit bowls, etc. on the shelves of the cafe-shop.

The guests were greeted in the felting workshop by Zoltan Pop, a resident who works equally well in the workshops and in the music class. He showed his products, told about the technological process of their creation and his hobbies, which he can realize at the orphanage.

"We have seen the foreign experience of such social institutions, we know how transformations were carried out there. But abroad, particularly in Switzerland, this has already happened. Of course, there was a great desire to start changes here in Ukraine. The Committee has been doing this for over 25 years. Everything you see here – the workshops, the school, the café-shop, and most importantly, the condition and mood of the wards – is the result of the systematic work of our organization, the orphanage management, the relevant government agencies and foreign partners who support us. The main thing is to create conditions for the self-realization of young people with disabilities, for understanding their capability, necessity, and awareness of equality with others. These principles have guided us from the very beginning of our activities", said Nadiya Danch, project coordinator of the Medical Aid Committee in Zakarpattya.

She also showed the visitors the new buildings of the orphanage, which are currently being repaired as part of the project "Improving the Protection of Children in Emergencies in Ukraine by Providing Safe Shelters, Food and Non-Food Items, and Psychosocial Support". These activities are carried out by the Committee with the support of "terre des hommes Deutschland e.V." and funding from the German Federal Foreign Office.

According to Kateryna Mayboroda, the filming at the Vilshany Children’s Orphanage was the most inspiring of the last two years of her work.