Toys for mentally handicapped children in Gazipasa, Turkey, euro 820

There is no support for mentally handicapped children in Gazipasa, [a small town in Southern/Northern? Turkey]. In Alanya - 40 km away - there is a parenting and treatment centre for mentally and physically handicapped and autistic children, but for most parents from Gazipasa this is too far away. Their handicapped children have to stay at home, which does not only affect their development but also places a heavy burden on the family. This has prompted a group of active women in Gazipasa to do something about the situation..

They arranged for Anna Bakker, a Dutch woman who has worked in children's welfare and child psychiatry for more than 40 years and has had a special connection with Gazipasa for 15 years, to visit with them a number of homes in Gazipasa to assess the situation of mentally handicapped and autistic children. 
In 2004, Anna Bakker reported to the mayor and governor of Gazipasa on her findings and this was the first step towards setting up Gazipasa' own day centre for handicapped children. 

The local council has made land available and a successful architect and resident of Gazipasa is building the centre as his own expense. The governor has promised to pay for the treatment costs for those children who will be registered at the centre. The group of women, which we mentioned above, will take care of the registration of the children and will take the first 57 files to the governor's office. More registrations are expected to take place, as people in villages in the surrounding mountains are not yet aware of the new centre. 

Building works for the "Kemal Akca Rehabilitasyon Merkezi" started in April of this year. There will be three class rooms, eight rooms for one-to-one lessons and therapy and two physiotherapy rooms.

State education is free - the State will pay the salaries of the staff members and also basic items such as tables and chairs. As we mentioned before, the medical treatments will be paid for by the governor of Gazipasa, but additional funding is needed for all other necessary items, such as kitchen equipment, curtains, computers and play and relaxation equipment.

The new centre is asking for 820 Euro for a ball pond, swings and kangaroo balls. 

Total € 820,-- 

adopted by the general fund of Moments of Joy

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