Help People with Intellectual Disabilities -Serbia

More than 20 years ago, KEC began with the mission to assist people with intellectual disabilities experience enriching lives as they get older. Our day center was the first step in accomplishing this mission. Early on, however, we realized that this was not enough. While the day center was a home away from home for our beneficiaries they needed more. They also needed meaningful interactions with the rest of society. What better way to achieve that than through work. 

Twenty years ago, when we set out to our first find corporate partners who would welcome our people onto their teams there were far fewer local and international companies working in Belgrade. There was one international company that was here long before the others arrived. We had a feeling that since they were a global leader in their field, they would have an interest in what we were proposing. Sure enough, when we approached McDonald’s Serbia they immediately recognized the value of this program and were eager to partner with KEC to bring people with intellectual disabilities onto their team. This November we marked the 20^th year of cooperation with our first corporate partner—McDonald’s Serbia.

 “We are very happy that we were the first company in Serbia that, together with our partners from KEC, recognized and initiated this extremely important project, the inclusion of young people with intellectual disabilities in society.  This program, which was launched in 2004, made it possible for these wonderful young people to realize their human right to work and live an active life in the community. With the logistical support of the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Policy, Twenty years ago, 12 people were employed in two McDonald’s restaurants. We improved the cooperation every year and today these young people come to seven of our restaurants,“ said Desanka Landauer, Marketing Director at McDonald’s Serbia. 

"KEC believes in the idea that every human being is unique and valuable to the community in which he lives and that he contributes to it with his knowledge, work, skills or his very existence.“ That is why we designed this program and we are very grateful to McDonald’s management, which in 2004 was the first in Belgrade to recognize the needs and importance of inclusion of our users through work engagement. From 12 users who started working in two restaurants, over 20 years, close to 100 people have gone through the program in seven restaurants,“ said Margareta Greta Kecman, president of the Board of Directors.  

Realizing this program required not only finding corporate partners but also creating a legal framework in which it could function. With the support of McDonald’s, and our other corporate partners, KEC prevailed in achieving a legal mechanism to support work engagement of people with intellectual disabilities. As a result of our efforts, hundreds of people with these disabilities have places to work on the open labor market.  

More important than the representatives of the ministries, government agencies and the media who attended this celebration, the Bezistan McDonald’s was full of the many many KEC beneficiaries who have worked at McDonald’s over the past two decades. Needless to say, their joy and gratitude for these opportunities was the best proof that these 20 years of cooperation have been a success. 

We are grateful to McDonald’s Serbia for its willingness to take a chance on KEC’s idea and we look forward to 20 more years of successful cooperation.  

KEC is also grateful to all of our GlobalGiving supporters whose help enables us to keep encouraging corporations and individuals to include people with disabilities into all aspects of local life.

KEC beneficiaries get a lot of joy out of the center’s daily activities and just hanging out in their special place. That joy is surpassed only by the excitement of leaving the center whether it be for a trip or to go to work with one of our corporate partners. This summer we have had a lot of fun outings but we have also added a new organization to our network of corporate partnerships. Since the beginning of the summer, we have been partnering with the Food Bank of Belgrade. This partnership has helped us get our beneficiaries and their families support with food security but it has also given our beneficiaries a weekly “action.” 

In Serbia more than 26% of the population live below the poverty line. Poverty is even more prevalent among families with people with disabilities. Most of KEC’s families live under severe economic distress. Additionally, it is estimated that 90 million tons of unused food are thrown away every year in Europe alone. With the goal of addressing both of these problems the Food Bank of Belgrade & Delhaize (also a KEC partner) are working together to rescue high quality food and to get it to people in need.  Food that Delhaize would otherwise throw away (baked goods, fruits, vegetables, etc.) is packaged up and distributed at 14 different locations throughout the city during the week. 

KEC’s beneficiaries look forward to Fridays when they stay longer at the center waiting for the food truck to make its stop in our neighborhood. As one would expect in Belgrade (unfortunately), the crowd is a bit unruly and at times our beneficiaries have even needed to use a little moxie to make sure that they and their friends are not pushed out of the way. In order to help with this, KEC has worked out an arrangement with the organizers that our beneficiaries get on the truck and distribute boxes to disabled people first and then to the others who are waiting. Other KEC beneficiaries help the elderly people get their boxes into their carts so they can transport them home. One parent mentioned how surprised and proud they were seeing the KEC beneficiaries on the truck distributing the boxes to others. 

Ema, Marina’s mom, says about the food packages: “We rely a lot on the support we get from the Center for Social Work and even with that we can’t cover all of our expenses. The food we get from KEC’s cooperation with the Food Bank of Belgrade helps us fill that hole. When you have very little money, every bit of help you get means a lot. When Marina brings home this box on Friday she is happy that she is helping our family and we are very grateful to have this assistance.” 

Even though they live far away, Bane, Ana’s dad, brings his daughter to the KEC center every day. “I take care of Ana and my elderly ill father. We live off a pension and social help and we barely make do. I am a disabled person—I have severe mobility issues and my left arm does not function. When this mass of people was waiting for the truck to make its delivery, I was worried about how we would get our package. But then the young people from KEC got up on the truck and made sure that each one of us got our boxes and that no one could push us, people with disabilities, out of the line.” 

Lots of times in life it seems like nothing is easy. The Food Bank of Belgrade offered us help but then we also needed to find a way to make that a safe and positive experience for our beneficiaries. Where others might have given up, KEC perseveres. This summer tens of families with disabilities had a little more food on their tables. For KEC that was worth it all.