Recently a team of labour instructors of the Vilshansky Orphanage together with the director of the institution Bohdan Kykyna visited socially responsible enterprises of Uzhhorod city and Uzhhorod district. The trip, organised jointly with the Charitable Organisation "Medical Aid Committee in Zakarpattia", aimed to get acquainted with the activities of social enterprises and the organisation of their work.
So, firstly, they visited the inclusive confectionery studio "Fioletovo". A long-standing friendship between this institution and the CO "CAMZ" lasted since the "Golden Hearts of Zakarpattia" project has been implemented. At that time the development of methods of socialisation and vocational training for people with Down syndrome and autism was initiated. Today "Fioletovo" is an incredibly atmospheric and tasty place in the centre of Uzhhorod, where sweets, without exaggeration, bring not only gastronomic pleasure but also social benefit, because under professional guidance they are created by young people with mental disabilities. The guests from Vilshany got acquainted with the project manager Olena Logvynenko, discussed the opportunities provided by the form of a social enterprise for people with disabilities.
Then there was an introductory tour to the "Mercy Farm" in the Nevytske village. That is the unique social enterprise created by the Charitable Foundation "House of Mercy" together with Norwegian donors and the humanitarian organisation KPK-Ukraina. The farm grows vegetables, fruits, and flower seedlings, it has its own bakery, a shop with its own products, a cozy cafe and a playground. The peculiarity of "Mercy Farm" in the distribution of income - it goes to social goals and charity. Every day, more than a thousand portions of free hot lunches are received from the company by low-income families and people who find themselves in difficult life circumstances. As the head of "Mercy Farm" Stepan Kohutka told the guests, the farm employs about 60 people, including people with disabilities and those who are cared for by a social enterprise. The mission of the organisation is not in production, but in directing its resources to humanitarian, moral, food help for people.
It is obvious that Vilshansky Orphanage shares the same philosophy as its partners do, i.e. support, help, understanding, and creation of better conditions for the self-realisation of persons with disabilities. Therefore, a meeting with representatives of social enterprises is be useful for the implementation of new practices and forms of employment for the inhabitants of the institution, creating for them a sense of involvement in useful affairs and a need in society.