Active Café (Caffe Aktywni)

Our focus is on...
Civic Engagement

We started in...
Poland

as
Foundation

The problem that we are tackling

According to the „Study of the needs of disabled individuals” the life quality for individuals with intellectual disabilities has been measured as the lowest among all populations. The group faces the biggest obstacles in case of employment and lack of integration and social rehabilitation. Youth with mild intellectual disabilities who attend vocational schools have limited perspectives when it comes to professional opportunities and suffer from a lack of stable social circle. Results of research on the level of happiness among seniors2 don’t leave much room for optimism either. Merely half of the individuals declared a sense of purpose in life and was optimistic about the future. Seniors are rarely accompanied by counterparts their age and even less frequently by representatives of other age groups. Hence, both seniors and the youth with intellectual disabilities have limited opportunities for contact and social, or professional meetings. As a result they tend to retreat from social life, limiting their living space to their apartments, despite the fact that just like everybody else they have a need for being active, feeling fulfilled, accepted and belonging.

1. Performed on behalf of the National Fund for Rehabilitation of Individuals with Disabilities by Social Studies Marzena-Kawiecka, 2018
2. Collected in a report entitled “Quality of life for elders in Poland on the basis of social cohesiveness research 2015” GUS, US in Łódź, 2017

Our way is through a new...
Tool/ Method/ Instrument

Our innovative solution

The innovation created a special place – the Active Café, a space that’s open to:

• Youth with intellectual disabilities that, through social and vocational training learns new skills and competences,
• Seniors, who can share their knowledge and experience through the role of mentors,
• Members of the local community, who can get to know each other better through community meetings, as well as recognize the potential of others and together build a community of neighbors based on mutual trust and acceptance.

The innovation supports active exchange between generations, activates the youth with intellectual disabilities and seniors, as well as integrates them with the local community. The essence of the project is the collaboration between the seniors-mentors and the youth, with whom they share their experiences and knowledge. The goal is to encourage the elders of the community to leave their houses, offering help to those in need and integrating the community.

Our activity radius is...
local

Learn more on our website or get in touch via Facebook!