Logo

 

Banner Image:   Baptist-Times-banner-2000x370-
Template Mode:   Baptist Times
Icon
    Post     Tweet

You’ll never guess what this lady did with water and flour

An amazing thing happened in Kosovo for children with severe disabilities. Former BMS World Mission volunteer Carol Pratt shares the story of how a seemingly simple creation actually changed lives.  



Water. Flour. Newspaper. Cardboard. Mix them all together, add a bit of creativity and a heart for children, and what do you get?

If you guessed specialist chairs for disabled children, you were right. We were surprised too!

But that’s exactly what special needs teacher Carol Pratt has been making in Kosovo with BMS. On her latest volunteer experience she was working at a school and in local villages with children who have disabilities such as Down’s syndrome and cerebral palsy.

Not only do the children face physical challenges as they engage in activities, the school faces financial challenges with a limited budget and resources. That’s why Carol and her colleague Arlene decided to get creative and the idea to create homemade chairs was born. Carol was touched to see the chairs changed children’s lives. Children like Kaltrina*.

Kaltrina is a little girl who had spent her entire life lying on a mattress or sofa due to her disability. She was unable to sit. Carol helped create a chair for Kaltrina and fondly remembers her reaction the first time she was able to sit up properly. “Kaltrina’s hands were waving all over the place and she had the biggest smile on her face,” says Carol. “It gave her a completely new view on life for the first time.”



The chairs are amazing. They are made from such simple materials, yet they have they the power to enhance the life of the most vulnerable children.

The cardboard chairs provide more support than traditional classroom chairs and can even be custom-made for each child. “We see what size it needs to be for their legs and can angle it back to create proper head support,” says Carol. They’ve also created some chairs with table tops so children can access hands-on activities more easily.



Creating the chairs was a wonderful step forward for these children, but Carol realises that are still many challenges ahead. She believes that parents of children with disabilities need to be encouraged that they can send their children to school. “It’s good to remind them that they can take these children out and be proud of them,” says Carol. “They deserve an education too.”

Carol has been out to serve as a BMS volunteer three times, once in Delhi and twice in Kosovo, and is very thankful for each experience. She has even planned a return trip on her own over Easter to reunite with the children and families she grew to love in Kosovo.

“It was great to be able to make some sort of difference,” says Carol. “And it was amazing to build the relationships. The children and families were so lovely.”


 

Are you interested in volunteering with BMS? Find out more today about the opportunities that we have waiting for you!

This article first appeared on the website of BMS World Mission and is used with permission.   


 
BMS World Mission, 01/04/2016
    Post     Tweet
The challenge and opportunity of microchurch planting
'Resources (of people, finance and goodwill) are often hard to come by, metrics are not kind... but these experimental groups contain the seeds to our survival' Dave Criddle reports from a recent gathering focused on microchurch
The Boy at the Back of the Bus
Interview with Antoinette Brooks, Baptist church member and author of a new book documenting the childhood of Martin Luther King
Rediscovering the magic of Christmas
We can find a fresh perspective on the nativity story by considering some of the less familiar texts that point to and talk about the birth of the Saviour, writes John Hayward
Sharing the Christian story with your local schools
A presentation that has seen hundreds of thousands of pupils learn more about the Christian faith at Christmas and Easter marks its 30th anniversary next year – and it is hoped even more churches and schools could be involved
‘It will help you encounter Jesus in new and deeper ways’
Mosaic Creative has announced the release of a new book and audiobook of biblical monologues for churches called Following the Son by Jackie Mouradian
Different types of small church
The Small Church Connexion team is testing out different categories of small church, from a new plant to one that is choosing to close. These are imprecise categories which need to be fleshed out, but can help us strengthen the resource we offer
     The Baptist Times 
    Posted: 16/11/2024
    Posted: 11/09/2024
    Posted: 05/02/2024
    Posted: 16/12/2023
    Posted: 15/12/2023
    Posted: 06/12/2023
    Posted: 27/11/2023