Education Kazakhstan Project #20282

A new roof for the Salem Social Cafe in Kazakhstan

by Salem Union

A new roof for the Salem Social Cafe in Kazakhstan

Project Report | Mar 18, 2016
Using the space

By Tim Munday | Project Leader

A disabled child getting a wheelchair in the cafe

"You've given us confidence that we didn't have before."

It's pretty tough bringing up a disabled child, though of course every caring parent knows there are nevertheless wonderful things too. But in the culture here, where disability is often seen as a curse, a shame to be hidden away, the burdens are multiplied.

This particular mother, whose son is confined to a wheelchair, didn't stop there. "We love life," she said, "and don't see disability as a sentence. We love having the chance to spend our free time with our friends in your cafe. We want to be seen as equal members of society. And we're just so grateful to the Social Village and its volunteers, whose work is priceless."

As you know, our cafe isn't just a cafe - it's far more. As a key community space for World Without Limits, our social club for people with disabilities, this meeting space is a lifeline to so many, including our growing band of volunteers who also use the cafe each week.

Thank you for helping us to get a new roof on our cafe - we're not there yet, but we're really hoping to be able to get the new roof on this summer. It's not just us you're helping; there are many other grateful people whose gratitude we also want to pass on.

And another

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Dec 29, 2015
Happy New Year!

By The team | Salem Social Village

Nov 24, 2015
'It's just a wonderful place'

By Tim Munday | Project Leader

A recent volunteer training session in our cafe

We know that a fundraising project for a new roof isn't necessarily the most exciting thing you'll read about this week - but we also know that you're well aware of how something being exciting doesn't always mean it's important; in fact, often quite the opposite. So we're really thrilled that since we last wrote in September, more people have chosen to invest in something important, and we've added a further $1,400 to our total! Thank you everyone who has helped us get this far!

Why is this project important? (And we think it is actually a bit exciting, too!) Well, simply because without a roof, our cafe cannot remain open - and that would affect so much of what we at Salem Social Village are able to do to transform lives, bit by bit, every week. Just in the last couple of months, we've had the World Without Limits social club for people with disabilities getting together and having fun in a way they simply couldn't anywhere else in the city; we've had training sessions with our volunteers; we've had English conversation clubs; we've hosted a two day regional conference for NGOs and young people engaged with social projects; we've had young people hanging out in a safe friendly place on Friday evenings; and we've had a whole lot of different people through who use our cafe for a whole lot of different reasons.

Just yesterday I was talking to a young guy who works in the city for one of the airlines that flies here. He speaks good English, Chinese (and Russian and Kazakh, of course) and is clearly a rising star awaiting his next step upwards. One of the future leaders of Kazakhstan, you'd have to say. He originally came to Salem to practice his English, but even though lots of the foreigners here he got to know have left, he still comes back. Why, I asked him? 'It's just a wonderful place,' he said. 'There's nowhere else in the city with this atmosphere, where you can relax, meet great people, be yourself. We love it here, and we've learnt so much from the people we've got to know.'

Whether it's someone with severe disabilities or someone with a potentially soaring future ahead, the cafe is important as a place where values are changed. And that's why we're so thankful that you decided to help us through your donation.

Could you help us raise the remaining funds needed by sharing our story with others? Please sign up for our Village Leaf monthly news to learn more, or click on one of the links below to share our project page around your network.

A Disabled Club birthday party - with puppet show!

Some of our staff relaxing in the cafe recently

One of our English classes outside the cafe

Students in a pic to advertise our English courses

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