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Društvo Barka is part of the international federation L’Arche, comprised of communities that create a culture of shared lives between people with and without intellectual disabilities. We support the active inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities (PID) in society in a meaningful and equal manner. Today there are over 154 L’Arche communities in 38 countries all over the world. Ours was established in 1997.

Društvo Barka is a non-profit, humanitarian organization of public interest that improves the quality of life of adults with intellectual disabilities in Slovenia. For 23 years until now we provide our target group with a home-like place to live in, work-like activities to become productive, friends, and numerous different innovative services structured in three different programs.

Programme 1: Workshops
In the workshops, PID perform unpretentious work with simple tools, while workshop assistants and volunteers turn their work into a final product. Currently, we have 4 workshops: (1) Gardening; (2) Production. We open this workshop on an ad hoc basis when a business requests from us to provide simple services for them, which PIDs are able to perform (e.g. labeling); (3) Creative workshop. Here PID develop hand-made products by using different recycled materials and (4) Wooden workshop. Here PID create different hand-made products from different types of wood.

Programme 2: Community living
Community living (deinstitutionalization) takes place in two houses: The Sunny House and The Rainbow house. The houses are a family-like setting, where living is organized as in any other home. Here PID, using the help of house assistants and volunteers, learn how to do household work, prepare a meal, maintain good personal hygiene, have leisure time activities... in one word, become as much independent as possible.

Programme 3: Well-being
(3.1) Dancing therapy is provided once a week for 21 years. Through dancing, PID increase or maintain their gross motor skills, develop physical stamina, are given an opportunity to express themselves through movement, gain a boost of confidence and increase their creative and cognitive skills. Typically once a year, PID prepare a public show where they present their dancing skills, which makes them proud of their work. At the same time, they raise awareness about themselves and decrease the stigma attached to them;

(3.2) Holidays and trips. We take PID on summer and winter holidays and day trips for 22 years. The holidays and the change of environment has a positive impact on them. They are more physically active than otherwise, meet different cultures, visit new places, taste unknown dishes, and at the same time destigmatize themselves in the place where they go to holidays. Because we go on holidays in small groups, there is an opportunity for building meaningful relationships among employees and PID, which serve as a base for future work based on trust;

(3.3) Art. In the last five years, we organised different art-related activities twice a year. In 2019, we decided to structure them and create a separate program. Therefore, in May 2019, we organized an international silent auction Artists for Artists, through which we fundraised the money needed to build an atelier. Later that year, we successfully applied for a “LAS za mesto in vas” grant for the project “The art of cooperation among different vulnerable groups”. The project enables us to develop the atelier’s programme, provide art therapy, and organize exhibitions and art colonies for different vulnerable groups in the next two years, starting from the end of 2020.

(3.4) Public events. Each year we organise at least 5 public events, where PID show their gifts and establish personal connections with the general public, and in that way self-advocate and raise awareness about themselves and their specifics. There are traditional events (e.g. midsummer night’s fire, hand-made products fair, community birthday), as well as events that do not take place each year (e.g. art auction Artists for Artists and concert Tamino in 2019, monthly reading events in different locations with different target groups launched in mid2020, etc).

(3.5) Sports. Taking into consideration the capacities of each individual, we organise different sports activities, like swimming, cycling, workouts or just a walk;

(3.6) Volunteering. Each year we host 15 international and national volunteers on average, in addition to the trainees that join us as part of their university studies. Because of the number of volunteers, and the differences between them (e.g. age, the duration of the volunteering period, the country they come from, tasks they are involved in, etc.) we decided to professionalise this aspect of the organisation. Based on the results of the public call for project proposals, since November 2019 the Ministry of Administration subsidizes our office position Volunteers’ Coordinator for the next 27 months.