A press conference was held in the tent of the National Charitable Foundation Yardam-Help to mark the launch of the project for social adaptation of the visually impaired “Seeing and Hearing with the Heart.” The initiative received support in the second competition of the Presidential Grants Fund, with funding exceeding 10 million rubles. This project is one of the foundation’s key areas of focus and aims at the social rehabilitation of blind and visually impaired individuals, creating sustainable opportunities for a full life and active participation in society.
The project’s author and leader, co-founder of the Yardam-Help foundation, Vice President and Director of the foundation’s rehabilitation center, Malika Rafkatovna Gelmutdinova, spoke about the origins of the initiative and the plans for the center’s future development. According to her, “Many blind beneficiaries were on the verge of despair due to their inability to find their place in society.” She emphasized the importance of the project: “We strive to ensure that every person, regardless of their abilities, has access to education, communication, and the opportunity to realize their potential.”
She also noted: “Our plans include the expansion and deepening of our activities. As part of this, a modern Inclusion Center is under construction, which will mark a new milestone in the history of our rehabilitation center. We will continue to develop projects in these new conditions.”
The event was attended by invited guests: Zulfiya Nurmukhametovna Safina, Director of the Republican Resource Center for Supporting Socially Oriented Non-Profit Organizations, and Vladimir Alekseevich Fedorin, Chairman of the Tatar Regional Organization of the All-Russian Society of the Blind.
The presentation of the project “Seeing and Hearing with the Heart” highlighted its role in the social adaptation of people with visual impairments. The project ranked among the top 100 best initiatives supported by the Presidential Grants Fund. Within its framework, seven training and rehabilitation courses for 245 people over the age of 18 are planned, each lasting 30 days. The first courses began on September 1 and will conclude on September 30.
Participants are learning social interaction skills and actively engaging in cultural and recreational activities, including visits to theaters, museums, cinemas, sports matches, and workshops. This approach helps address communication difficulties, improves emotional well-being, and reduces anxiety and depression.
The press conference also brought together project partners and direct participants — blind and visually impaired individuals — who shared their impressions of the rehabilitation center and their experiences in the program.
Partnership plays a significant role in the initiative: over 30 organizations, around 20 of which were present at the press conference, are helping enhance the project’s quality and promote greater social integration and access to cultural infrastructure. This enables people to become more involved in community life.
The grant amount for the project totals 10,608,361 rubles. The funds are allocated for staff salaries, catering, printing literature in Braille, and purchasing equipment for home economics lessons, typhlo flash players, and special games for the blind.
The foundation expressed gratitude to all participants for their active involvement, support, and dedication to projects focused on the rehabilitation and social integration of visually impaired individuals.
Press Service of the National Charitable Foundation Yardam-Help
Source: dumrt.ru
