- God Loves Albania Ministries (GLAM) in Huizen
- Project title: Sport and Integration Project in Albania (SIPA)
- Period: December 2004 until December 2005
The Project God Loves Albania Ministries (GLAM) focuses much on rehabilitation of young people with a disability. The young people themselves came with a request for sporting possibilities. With this project the youngsters with a disability themselves will promote adapted sports in several parts of the country, among persons with a disability but also among directors and sport associations. Through a campaign, lobbying, information services, the organisation of competitions and support of the framework adapted sports will have to further develop in . SIPA focuses on: - Identification of persons with a disability who want to practice sport actively;
- Organisation of sport possibilities and training camps;
- Setting up regional associations;
- Training of coordinators, trainers en coaches;
- Contacting international organisations for adapted sports;
- Setting up a national training centre for adapted sports in Marikaj;
- Setting up an administrative organization for adapted sports in ; and
- Integration of adapted sports institutions with churches, local government and organisations for persons with a disability.
In the long term the project will lead to participation in the Paralympic Games in in 2008 by . The Results The project has started at the end of 2004. In the meantime a coordinator has been appointed and de first promotional activities have been carried out. About God Loves Ministries During the first years after the opening up of the country, between 1991 and 1993, the Dutch missionary Gesina Blaauw focused especially on urgent aid and the handing out of aid products. When first aid was given, it appeared that Albanians with a disability were being totally ignored by their own people. Thus Gesina’s work altered. She now focused more on support and stimulation of children and young people with a disability, so they would find themselves accepted in the Albanian society. Gesina Blaauw founded GLAM for her religiously inspired work and she works with several donor organisations. Website: www.godlovesalbania.org Anecdote: Elton is 27 years old. The first three years of his life he spent in a hospital. The diagnosis was: polio. Until he turned sixteen Elton did not have a wheelchair. He looked after his brothers and sisters when his parents worked by dragging himself on his hands through the house. Now he has a wheelchair and he visits the centre in Marikaj. He controls the Albanian and English language (speaking, reading, writing). He is an enthusiastic member of the wheelchair basketball team and in December 2004 he won a tournament for the first time. | 