Jointly with the Ministry of Youth, Physical Education and Sport in Bulgaria and the Youth Sport Trust of the United Kingdom, we work on a three-year project Dreams and Teams for the development of leadership potential of young people and inclusion of young people with disabilities through sport.
The “Dreams and Teams” is a British Council project run in many countries since 2004. But in Bulgaria we have added something special. In addition to leadership training through sports, the Bulgarian participants have also been able to achieve inclusion of children with and without disabilities in the one and the same “team”, which in the end makes “the dream comes true” for all of them – not to distinguish between children on the basis of their physical or mental abilities. In addition, in all three groups engaged in the project (trainers, leaders and festival participants) people with and without disabilities, of different ages and social status alike, take part – from members of governmental and non-profit organisations, through young people from various secondary schools to the youngest participants. Only in this way can we ensure that the approach taken will be the same at all levels. The project’s been realised in the cities of Sofia and Varna.
Sports as spontaneous way of communication gives the young leaders opportunity to develop skills: to learn working in a team, to take and delegate responsibilities and to be confident in their communication with adults and people of their age. They get acquainted with the etiquette of communication with people with and without disabilities and with the correct way and terminology of addressing them. After the sports festival is over the young people can communicate easily with each other. They find new things about their own abilities and the abilities of their mates.
The overall project was captured in a film narrated through the eyes of four young people sharing their viewpoints on tolerance and social integration. They talk about the barriers between people with and without disabilities and how the projects changed their lives. You can see the movie here. http://www.mobg.org
On occasion of the International Day of People with Disabilities the Youth “Dreams and Teams Bulgaria” NGO and the Bulgarian Association for Rehabilitation, Integration and Sport for People with Disabilities organised on 3 December 2009 a Sports Festival for children with and without disabilities. It took place at Triaditsa Sports Hall. The festival took place under the British Council project “Dreams and Teams”. It is traditionally supported by Sofia Municipality, Sofiyska voda AD and the “Murphy's Missfits” Rugby Club.
The festival was prepared by young people who have been trained under the "Young Leader" Training organised by the “Dreams and Teams Bulgaria” NGO. The training helps them develop leader’s skills and tolerance, get acquainted with the right way of communication with people with disabilities and learn how to manage small projects. They develop skills on how to create adapted games for the festival suitable for all participants. More than 100 kids aged 8 - 10 participated in the festival. They were with different range of disabilities or without disabilities and came from schools and children homes in Sofia.
The main goal of the organisers was to show that all differences can be overcome and all children can have fun together. The festival is a good example of a society where everybody helps and supports each other and learns new and interesting things.
For more details contact Krassimira Tantcheva, “Dreams and Teams" Project Manager.
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