INTERREG Project SIII-065
Strengthening Organisational Skills of Hearing Impaired Youth and their Families (SOS Deaf)

Brief summary of the project

Overall objective of the project is better integration of hearing impaired young people and their relatives in to mainstream society by strengthening their organisation management skills in Lithuanian Association of Families with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children PAGAVA, Šiauliai Hearing Impaired Club "Auditus", and Latvian Deaf Youth and Their Friends Organization EFRAIMS.

For this objective:

• Lithuanian-Latvian network of NGOs will be established,
• Good practice will be shared and common projects developed,
• Cooperation among young people from will be started and support communication among families and young people having the same disability problems from border regions will be provided.

To achieve objectives of the project the following activities are planned:

1) to organize psychological trainings for young hearing impaired people in Lithuania and Latvia encouraging them to participate in social life more actively;
2) to organize Share of practice meeting in Bauska to exchange experience between relevant organizations;
3) to create internet site with Lithuanian Latvian and English versions as a tool of communication and information for families with hearing impaired children and deaf young people in cross border regions;
4) to organize project writing seminar for representatives of both organizations
5) to organize Study and contact trip on LT-LV border regions;
6) to organize summer camps for deaf youth in Lithuania in 2006 and Latvia in 2007.

Expected project results:

• Establishment of Lithuanian and Latvian network of organizations of families having hearing impaired children;
• Share of good practice;
• Establishment contacts of young people with hearing disabilities public awareness on hearing disability issues.

The main target groups of the project - families growing up deaf and hard of hearing children and young people with hearing impairements.

INTERNET WEBSITE WILL HELP TO CONTACT AND COMMUNICATE

     As part of INTERREG project SIII-065 “Strengthening Organisational Skills of Hearing Impaired Youth and their Families“ an internet website has been launched by the address www.pagava.lt. The website is primarily aimed to introduce the project and its activities, to start contacts between LT and LV deaf youth facing common problems and needs, and to share good practice.

     Website www.pagava.lt also gives an opportunity to learn more about all the project partners: Lithuanian Association of Families with Deaf and Hearing Impaired Children PAGAVA, Šiauliai Hearing Impaired Club “Auditus”, Latvian Deaf Youth and their Friends Organization “Efraims”, and UAB Salo Baltic International: their history, contacts, activities and projects implemented.

     Photos from INTERREG project activities will be also placed in the website.

     It is also planned to place here information on children deafness, its medical, psychological and social aspects. This information is very important to parents raising and growing up deaf children. The website will be also a place where parents and deaf youth will be able to change their opinions, discuss actual questions, and get short consultations in LT and LV.

     A part of website information will be given in English in order to disseminate it and to keep contacts.

     There is also reference to Baltic Sea Region INTERREG III B Neighbourhood Programme.

WHAT ARE THE PROJECTS AND HOW ARE THEY BORN?

     Today society is actively involved in project activities. Deaf society is also implementing quite a lot of projects. All kinds of events, trips, exchange visits, sign language studies, and experience sharing – these are activities of various projects. However deaf youth are still rare project implementers.

     Association PAGAVA seeks to give deaf youth basic knowledge about project activities and to motivate them more actively participate in social life. To this aim INTERREG project “Strengthening organizational skills of hearing impaired youth and their families” partly financied by INTERREG III B Neighbourhood Programme was started in 2006.

     On December 9-10, 2006, a project writing seminar was organized in Šiauliai. Members of Lithuanian Association of Families with Deaf and Hearing Impaired Children PAGAVA, Šiauliai Hearing Impaired Club “Auditus” and Latvian Deaf Youth and their Friends Organization “Efraims” participated in the seminar, 30 persons in total. If some participants had to be persuaded to take part in the first project event, psychological seminar in May, the number of wishing to participate in project writing seminar was bigger than project possibilities allowed. Priority was given to those who took part in earlier project events and had practice in working in a team.

     Most important is to think

     The programme of the seminar was interesting and inventive. The first day all the seminar participants were provided with folders with seminar material. The text was minimal, and theory was laid out mostly in questions, schemes and short sentences. What are the projects and what are they used for? How are project ideas born? How to work in a team? How to fill in project application? The lecturers focused not so much on theoretical aspects as strived to explain the project writing basics by giving questions and examples, suggesting answers and asking to argument the choice. How can be used an ordinary pencil? What are ten most impossible things? The youth were stimulated to express their own opinions and ideas and take active participation in discussions. The participants realized that the most important thing is just to think and to listen attentively to the suggestions of other group members. Project ideas can come from the nearest surrounding: peoples’ needs and interests, wishes to implement their dreams or make some changes at school or in a fellow group. To make the start easier some topics of very simple projects were suggested: a walking tour in extreme conditions; a meeting with a famous person, etc.

     Project ideas

     After introduction to the main notions such as a project, how the ideas are born and basic principles of a team work the lecturers invited the deaf youth to consider what project ideas they would like to implement themselves. The participants were divided into three groups – one Latvian and two Lithuanian groups; members of each group knew each other and were speaking the same language: Lithuanian or Latvian. Young people enthusiastically set to work and at first project ideas were pouring like rain. The rain was just in time stopped by some skeptical doubts – are all the ideas interesting to all participants or are they really possible to be implemented?

     After lunch the groups were asked to present their ideas. Most of them reflected events already seen or heard or things young people would like to experience or learn: to organize sign language lessons for the hearing fellows; to have theatre in signs; to do a research on Baltic deaf culture; to spend a week in extreme surroundings – “Robinson island”. The ideas seemed attractive but how to bring them to life? The second day was devoted to consider and discuss these questions.

     Project implementation

     The second seminar day started with video from the first day. It was very interesting to see the results of the previous day: it was clear who was seriously engaged and who was just looking around and letting others to rack their brains. The lecturers gave the participants a small surprise: they divided the groups anew and all deaf youngsters from Vilnius made a group. Each group was given a task according to its capacity. As Latvians were a few years older and had project implementation practice they had to plan more complex projects while Lithuanians youth without any earlier practice got more simple ones: they had to plan Baltic young deaf sports competition. All participants started planning possible activities and budget calculations. Some of them had quite clear ideas about the arrangement of basketball competitions, number of team players and trainers; others showed to be experts of chess competition. They energetically discussed possible places of accommodation and meals, duration of competitions and activities for leisure time.

     Results

     In the end of the seminar all groups shortly presented their work results and together discussed which activities had been well planned and which ones needed improvement.

     Two intensive seminar days passed very fast. The seminar was useful to all the participants. Though “Efraims” members had already had experience in project application and implementation they unanimously asserted that thanks to the seminar they had acquired new ideas and skills. To Lithuanian deaf youth the seminar was a novelty: they learned a lot of new things and notions and realized that in order to live more interesting they needed themselves to put in quite a lot of efforts and labour. During the seminar six languages (!) were used: Lithuanian and Latvian sign languages; Lithuanian and Latvian; English and Russian. Most Latvians knew verbal Russian while seminar material for them was prepared in English. The lectures were delivered in Lithuanian and Russian to the hard of hearing participants, and in Lithuanian and Latvian sign languages to the deaf ones. At first it seemed that age difference of the participants would give trouble to the seminar work. And it really was not very easy to work, at least at the beginning; however thanks to the motivation of the participants as well as to thoughtful and careful efforts of the lecturers and interpreters the seminar was fluent and successful. On the other hand it proved that the deaf must learn as many languages as possible.

NEW FEATURES OF THE TRADITIONAL SUMMER FAMILY CAMP
„LEAVING THE WORLD OF SILENCE…” IN KUNIGISKES

     As usual last week of July association PAGAVA traditionally held Family summer camp “Leaving the World of Silence…” in Kunigiskes at the Baltic Sea. Families with deaf children from Vilnius, Kaunas, Šiauliai, Panevėžys, Tauragė, Alytus, Mažeikiai, Telšiai, and Širvintos came to the camp. The number of participants was more than two hundred including one hundred and twenty children, ninety five with hearing impairment among them. In this Family camp deaf and hard of hearing children, with and without hearing aids, with cochlear implants, communicating in signs and orally, their hearing sisters and brothers as well as hearing and deaf parents have an opportunity to meet and spend a few days together.

     Though the weather this summer happened to be rather changeable schedule of the Family camp was full of usual activities: presentations of associations and their activities; sports competition; relay-races on the sea coast; “greeting with the sea”; adventure path; a favourite Neptune festival with sand castles; and discos in the evenings. Parents and children had an opportunity to get a psychologist’s consultations, discussions on professional training of the deaf were held together with a teacher from Klaipėda Sewing and Business Service College.

     Each Family summer camp has its particular accents. This year in the opening ceremony the participants enjoyed not the traditional PAGAVA children dance but a beautiful dance performed by small children from Šiauliai Hearing Impaired Club “Auditus”. Also because of especially dry summer this year family camp had no its traditional campfire however it did not prevent parents’ discussions, mixing and sharing joys and troubles.

     All participants were also very glad to welcome members of Latvian Deaf Youth and their Friends Organization “Efraims” in the camp. Association PAGAVA, club “Auditus” and organization “Efraims” are partners of INTERREG project “Strengthening Organisational Skills of Hearing Impaired Youth and their Families“ that is aimed to broaden communication between Lithuanian and Latvian deaf youth, to help them to define their expectations and to find means to implement them and to develop organizational skills.

     The first meeting started with short presentations of the partners followed by discussions on the project and its future activities. LT deaf youth learned that their LV counterparts had established their own organization a few years ago and were implementing some interesting and actual projects. PAGAVA had already held psychological trainings for deaf youth in Vilnius under INTERREG project. Due to the fact that Latvians joined the project later they were going to organize psychological trainings in autumn. Latvian youth taught Lithuanians some international signs and took part in camp events together with their new friends.

     Summer camp in Kunigiskes was a nice opportunity for Lithuanian and Latvian deaf youth to start new friendships, communicate, learn more about each other and have great enjoyments.

LEARNING TO ORGANIZE ACTIVITIES TOGETHER WITH NEIGHBOURS

     Lithuanian Association of Families with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children PAGAVA together with Šiauliai Hearing Impaired Club “Auditus”, Latvian Deaf Youth and their Friends Organization “Efraims” and UAB Salo International started implementation of EU initiative INTERREG IIIA Priorities of the Baltic Sea Region INTEREG IIIB Neighbourhood Programme project SIII-065 “Strengthening Organisational Skills of Hearing Impaired Youth and their Families“(SOS Deaf).

     The aim of the project is to start and develop cooperation with neighbouring Latvian organizations, to share good practice, and to give LT and LV young deaf people an opportunity to make direct contacts, to communicate, share common expectations and wishes and maybe to write ? common project. In order to motivate young hearing impaired people to common activities and to encourage them to more actively participate in social life psychological trainings in Lithuania and Latvia have been planned. In June 2006 psychological trainings “Activity motivation to the young hearing impaired persons” were held in Vilnius. Sixteen hearing impaired youth age 14-22 from Vilnius and Šiauliai participated in the trainings. The group consisted of persons with rather different needs, some of them were totally deaf communicating in signs as well as mainstreamed hard of hearing youth using hearing aids. Organizers sought to create environment friendly to all the participants therefore sign language interpreter participated and FM systems were used.

      During the trainings psychologists taught deaf youth how to better know themselves and their friends, how to define one’s wishes and expectations, to plan team work and how together look for the best problem solution. Young deaf persons from Vilnius and Šiauliai made new friends, played together various psychological games, learned to help each other.

     The next project event is LV and LT partners meeting in Bauska, LV, planned in the beginning of July, and last week of July PAGAVA is going to welcome LV guests in traditional Family summer camp in Kunigiškės at the Baltic Sea.

YOUTH IN ACTION

     On May 19-20, 2007 participants of the INTERREG project SIII-065 “Strengthening Organisational Skills of Hearing Impaired Youth and their Families“(SOS Deaf) met in Šiauliai in the second project writing seminar where they were taught to get a deeper insight into projects development.

     In the first project writing seminar deaf youth were introduced to project basics, to work in a team and could discuss what activities they would like to implement. Various ideas had been suggested: to organize Baltic deaf youth sports competition; to do a research on Baltic deaf culture, and to organize Baltic deaf theatre. Finally the latter idea was chosen. The seminar participants had also to do homework: to think over possible project activities, number of project participants from each country and to make a list of participants. It had been also decided that LV members would contact Estonian deaf youth organization in order to know about their plans regarding participation in the project.

     The homework had been done, Estonians had been contacted and their agreement to participate in the project received therefore it seemed that it would not take too much time and efforts to fill in the project application. However the things were not that simple.

     The seminar started with project funding sources. What funds could young people apply to get financing for the implementation of their idea? The participants were introduced to EU structural funds and to the INTERREG IIIA Baltic Sea Region Neighbourhood Programme that supports cooperation between the people and institutions in the border regions.

     Where to get financing for the Baltic deaf youth theatre idea? Participants were introduced to the Agency of International Youth Cooperation and its programme Youth in Action. The programme encourages the involvement of young people with fewer opportunities and addresses young people aged between 13 and 30. Youth participation is considered a key element in this programme.

     Then seminar participants were introduced to the requirements of the programme Youth in Action. After that they could go back to the project idea and look at it anew from realistic viewpoint knowing the limits of the project budget and the deadline of application. The project budget was the following step.

     This part of the seminar attracted special interest. The youth had to match their expectations and wishes with programme possibilities, calculate travel, hotel and meal costs. One of the main requirements of the programmme Youth in Action is that the project must be developed and implemented by the young people THEMSELVES. The lecturers patiently and aimfully guided the young people along the hard way of writing a project. They compelled the participants themselves to plan activities and to count budget leaving aside fantasies and unfounded pretensions. When the planners seemed to have no more strength to go on the lecturers would not allow putting the endevour aside but persuaded to finish it by common efforts.

     The use of the seminars and the INTERREG project on the whole was best expressed in the assessments of the participants:
1. I’ve learned about the process of organizing, plans and projects. I would like to learn about these things even more. I’m happy to have participated in the seminar.
2. Everything what’s new is very interesting.
3. ve learned what the budget is. And also how to count costs.
4. We’ve got a lot of new ideas and advice how to solve problems.
5. I’ve learned a lot – how to act and how to implement projects. It’s a pity the seminars were few and short, and we lacked time to discuss everything.
6. I’ve got experience how to work in a team.
7. All the project development process was new and systemic information.
8. And in Latvian: “Paldies jums”.

     Project application “Baltic deaf youth theatre” was submitted to the Agency of International Youth Cooperation in time. In September the project was approved by the Agency and received a partly funding. The project implementation is next step.

FAREWELL TO SUMMER AND TO INTERREG PROJECT

     Besides traditional summer camps this year association PAGAVA together with Latvian Youth Organization of the Deaf and Šiauliai Hearing Impaired Club “Auditus” held an international summer camp in Latvia for LT and LV deaf youth. The camp was a part of INTERREG Baltic Sea Region Neighbourhood project Nr. SIII-065 “Strengthening Organizational Skills of Hearing Impaired Children and Their Family Members”. Its aim was to give LT and LV deaf youth an opportunity to learn more about boarder and to strengthen contacts that had been made during INTERREG project.

     The camp was situated at the Baltic sea cost near Liepaja in ? beautiful place surrounded by pine trees. The mummer was accompanying the campers all the time. The camp was very spacious with basketball and football fields and several halls for activities. The weather of the end of August was wonderful giving the campers some opportunities to bathe in the sea.

     The camp programme was at same time intensive and very interesting and useful, covering wide range of aspects, with educational, art therapy and sports activities. The atmosphere of the camp was very friendly and joyful from the very start.

     Art workshops were assigned not only to learn some skills, but also to make friends. At the workshop Clay Lessons some girls got almost a shock when teacher Ligita invited everyone to take a piece of clay and to make his/her own ball; the material didn’t look very attractive and clean. Then the youth sitting in a circle were asked to pass clay balls to each other; and the clay started to teach us to relax, to touch each other’s hand, to give and to feel another person. The campers also learned to make masks trying to express their moods and feelings using paper, paint, thread and clay. The process was especially useful to the deaf youth as they cannot express themselves in words. During presentation of the works the audience listened with confidence and enjoyment. Everyone wished and was seen and heard. Such activities develop skills to have a deeper look at another person and accept to him/her as well as to experience pleasure and joy of life.

     As usual a lot of emotions were raised by sports competitions especially on Sports day that was full of strong wind blowing from the sea. When the rain started after some games the campers continued activities in the sport hall where sports instructor Algirdas taught various relays and games. The day passed very fast.

     Each day there were international signs lessons given by sign language interpreter Danguolė. The participants learned international finger spelling, to sign one’s first and second name, birth date, name of the native country and town. In spite of the fact that most of the audience was good friends it was not very easy to stand in front of it; however the teacher and her advice helped to overcome emotions. The last camp day the participants had to pass a short exam and in the camp closing ceremony all were given certificates testifying on learning basics of international signs.

     With especial interest LV and LT deaf youth listened to Ivars, leader of Latvian Youth Organization of the Deaf and his impressions from the 15 World Deaf Congress in Madrid in June 2007. Ivars also told about World deaf youth camp that was held before the Deaf Congress; members of Latvian and Estonian deaf youth organizations took part in the camp while no members from Lithuanian youth organization. Project coordinator Joana told about Summer camp of European Families with Deaf Children Eurofest07 in Ireland.

     Participants were especially interested in lectures given by their deaf friends. In presentation of her native country, Maira from Latvia didn’t forget to say how many deaf people live and how many schools for the deaf there are in Latvia. She also told about Latvian traditions including meals. Algirdas from Lithuania told about World Deaf Basketball Championship 2007 in China and showed a lot of photos from China: people, towns, parks and buildings. Not all Latvian participants knew that Lithuanian Deaf basketball team became winners of gold medals in China.

     In the evenings the campers used to meet in the hall to watch videos. All were impressed by Chinese videos “My dream” about the impaired people. A young man without both arms digging his kitchen-garden, riding a bike, weaving baskets and selling them in a local market place to earn his living. Five young men without legs: five men, five legs and ten crutches, strenuous repetitions, bleeding elbows and applauding audience. A young man with Down’s syndrome conducting the most famous world orchestras in the most famous world concert halls. Unbelievable dance of the deaf – a dream and a vision… Our applauses followed each video. To put the dream into reality needs a lot of work, patience and support. LV and LT deaf youth also discussed their common problems and shared experience regarding possibilities of studies and employment and sign interpretation service. Lithuanians were very surprised to learn that their Latvian colleagues had problems to get a sign interpreter for studies as only a part of this service is free of charge in Latvia.

     Also the campers had a beautiful cultural tour to Ventspils through Liepaja. LV deaf youth were very good guides and showed us the most beautiful places in Liepaja: old streets and beautiful flower gardens, Holy Trinity Church, and Latvian musicians alley of fame. Then there was a visit to Karosta museum, a former military base from Tsarist and Soviet time and Military prison. An hour in the museum introduced to the awful history time. On the way to Ventspils there was also a short stop in Jurkalne that has beautiful coastal cliffs up to 20 m high covered by stately pine trees. And finally the goal of the trip Venstspils where the campers walked down Ostas street along the River Venta, visited a tidy and modern city centre and historic buildings. Everyone immensely enjoyed the tour.

     Summer camp in Latvia was the final event of INTERREG IIIA project Nr. SIII-065. On August 30 the campers said good bye both to the Summer camp and to the INTERREG project. All participants got souvenir cups with EU and INTERREG logos and a project smile to remember the project. It can be said that the aim of the project has been achieved: LV and LT deaf youth learned more about the neighbouring countries and the life of the deaf in them, employment and studies possibilities. They visited Šiauliai, Joniškis, Jelgava, Liepaja, Ventspils, Bauska, and Biržai. They learned to write projects, to plan their activities, acquired new organizational skills, the cooperation between the organizations improved. During the project contacts with Estonian deaf youth organization were established and a common LT, LV and ET project “Baltic Deaf Youth Theatre” developed.

     Project participants said that they were very happy to be able to take part in the project, to visit and to learn more about neighbouring Lithuania and Latvia and the life of deaf people in them. They are sure that the skills acquired in project writing seminars will be helpful to them and that new contacts established during the project will continue in the future.