This unique place, the only one of its kind in Slovakia was founded by mothers of children with autism. Their initiative was an answer to undesirable situation. In Slovakia, there are no special care establishments for autistic children. A group of proactive parents therefore set up a special day-care centre.
At first, the centre served only for a close group of parents. Gradually, there was a demand to add more children from towns close-by, whose parents struggled to find them a suitable care.
Foundation Granvia helped Hralandia to set up a so-called Snoezelen room. It is a specially designed environment helping to deliver stimuli to various senses using colour, scents, sound or light effects. Also, using the grant money, the project leaders purchased EEG biofeedback device (neurofeedback, neuroterapia) – a special method that allows self-frequency electrical activity of the brain through repetitive training computer program. Parents of autistic children managed to create a high quality environment with a professional care for their little ones.
Project Patron: Ľudmila Mitrová
There are almost 4000 homeless people in the Slovak capital – Bratislava. Organization VAGUS has been helping them since 2011. In addition to daily low- threshold centres, VAGUS provides advice on common things like how to arrange for documents. Many of the clients suffer from physical or mental handicaps, offsprings of orphanages or released after serving their sentence.
The project supported by the Foundation Granvia involved setting up a café in the town centre, called Dobre & Dobré. It recently won the prestigious Via Bona award. The café employees are homeless people and it is used as a training ground before the clients apply for jobs elsewhere.
This approach is considered innovative and rare in Slovakia. It is therefore one of the objectives of the project leaders to expand the idea of training and work integration among other organizations.
Project Patron: Alenka Csoltiová
This diverse organization has been helping women in crisis and people with disabilities since 1998. In addition to providing accommodation for mothers – victims of domestic violence and their children, this non-profit unit has in its portfolio a few protected shelters. It also set up and operates an emergency telephone line, giving immediate help to those in need. Áno pre život also runs a community consultancy centre.
Foundation Granvia grant allowed the implementation of a project aimed at improving the protected shelter – which serves as a gift shop and a patisserie, called Darčeky@káva.
Apart from employing individuals with severe disabilities, the store assortment is made by people in crisis, whether they are long-term unemployed or those with a medical condition. This way, they involve them in the work process and further allow them in the work process and further allow them to compete on the labour market. While all the pastries are produced in a protected shelter, the gifts range from hand-made fabric dolls, paintings to jewellery. The shop is particularly popular with the visitors touring this charming little spa town.
Project Patron: Adrián Bukovec
