Support for Children with Autism in Tajikistan

April is once again a busy month for IRODA as we join others around the world in a month of raising awareness of autism and promoting greater acceptance in our society. One of the exciting events of this month has been opening a Centre for an inclusive vocational training program. The Centre will provide both sewing and culinary workshops.  The sewing workshops have grown out of the MarayamKraft program, named after a girl with autism who, thanks to her mother and mentor has learnt to sew and embroider. The new Centre will allow MaryamKraft to grow and equip other young people with vocational skills. 

IRODA has successfully established the Dar Yak Zamin Café, which employs young adults with disabilities. The culinary workshop located at the vocational training centre will be an extension of Dar Yak Zamin. It will allow a greater number of young people to receive training in culinary skills. 

April is not only marks World Autism Awareness Month, but also another significant milestone in IRODA’s work with the opening of this much needed training centre. Thank you for continuing to partner with us as we expand the work in Tajikistan to support and equip children, young adults and families. 

Despite all the ‘stops and starts’ of 2020, IRODA has been able to progress its work at ‘Free-DOM’. The beginning of 'Free-DOM' is an apartment set up to provide a location in which young people with disabilities can be supported to learn everyday life skills is up and running. 18 young adults have been engaging in an independent living program at ‘Free-DOM’, learning new skills and benefiting from doing this alongside other young adults and supportive IRODA staff. We look forward to 2021 when we hope to run two more programs and provide this important opportunity to other young adults. 

The ‘Free-DOM’ (‘Dom’ being the Russian word for house) apartment is also being used on the weekend for respite care. Many families of young people with additional needs don’t have others around them who can help support their family member. This can put a significant strain on the family unit. Being able to offer respite for some of these families by using the ‘Free-DOM’ apartment has not only provided much-needed support for these families but has also given the young people opportunities to socialise with others outside of their family.

Looking forward to 2021 we hope to grow both the Independent Living Skills program and the respite services. Your on-going support means a lot to all at IRODA and will enable us to continue exciting ventures such as ‘Free-DOM’.