About us
Our work is guided by the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which calls for respect of dignity, equal treatment of people with disabilities, and their full inclusion in society.
Our mission
We strive to give people with disabilities opportunities to be independent and participate in society.
Our goal
We want to provide support to people with disabilities so that they can live in municipalities.
Our tasks
- to implement the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
- to organize supported living of people with disabilities;
- to assist people of disabilities with employment;
- to facilitate sociocultural adaptation of people with disabilities;
- to adopt a systematic approach to providing assistance and support to people with disabilities;
- to assist in setting up organizations similar to Blagoe Delo in other cities and countries;
- to train professionals in the field of inclusion.
We feel it is crucial to help people with mental and physical disabilities learn to live independently, without round-the-clock supervision and assistance. We work in partnership with orphanages and residential institutions for people with disabilities.
Our philosophy
Our key values can be described through the motto: “Fraternity in work, equality in rights, and freedom in creative expression for all, including people with disabilities”.
We think it is important to ensure that the voices of people with disabilities are heard and their dignity is respected, and that they are treated as equals. Instead of focusing on overcoming a particular “defect”, we see rehabilitation as tapping into the person’s potential, using their strengths, and ensuring emotional engagement. We take every effort to teach our beneficiaries to express themselves and communicate their needs, to trust the world outside their home or institution, and to feel that they are skilled professionals and friends.
Our methodology
We are convinced that a human being develops through thinking, feeling, and exercising their will. That is why the method that lies at the basis of Blagoe Delo’s work is built on a synergy of art, work, and lifelong learning. These are the tools that help people with a disability understand and control their lives, and live an active and meaningful life. This is what we call “the trinal method”.
Our beneficiaries work and learn crafts in the eight workshops at Blagoe Delo. We have six art and craft workshops – a woodworking workshop, a ceramics workshop, a papermaking workshop, a sewing workshop, a wool and felt workshop, and a printing and design studio; and we also have two social rehabilitation workshops – the gardening workshop, and the kitchen where our beneficiaries learn basics of cooking and help the chef with cleaning and setting the tables (“the household workshop”). Work is organized in such a way that everyone can be involved and play a role. Everyone understands the process and works toward a common goal. Rehabilitation and productive work are equally important at Blagoe Delo, and the workshop leaders (supervisors) both oversee the process and help the beneficiaries develop and communicate.
Learning takes place in “training apartments” where we teach our beneficiaries to live independently and make their own decisions because many of them have always lived with their parents as caretakers or at specialized institutions all their lives, and do not know how to cook, or what the rent is, or how to go shopping without assistance.
Art is an essential component of Blagoe Delo’s work – people with disabilities attend art studios where they sing, dance, participate in theater productions, draw or paint, and play musical instruments.
Sharing Experiences
The Blagoe Delo team are constantly learning new things by attending training programs and seminars, including those in other countries. There are people with disabilities everywhere, and the same methods can be used for organizing their everyday and social life, no matter where they live. We identify the best projects that have been implemented in the world and adapt them to our realities. We share our experiences through seminars we regularly organize and certified professional development programs for social workers in Russia and other countries – for example, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia. We share our experiences and lessons learned at online and offline meetings, write specialized literature, and use our own example to show that projects like Blagoe Delo are possible.
More than 60 adults with disabilities participate in rehabilitation activities at Blagoe Delo every day. Your support helps us maintain and promote our rehabilitation program, buy the necessary materials for our workshops, and ensure that the cultural center and supported living apartments continue operating.
Legal documents
AUTONOMOUS NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION RESEARCH AND PRACTICE SOCIAL PEDAGOGIC ASSOCIATION «BLAGOYE DELO» (АNО NPSPО «BLAGOYE DELO»)/