WE EMPOWER CROATIAN CHILDREN TO OVERCOME FEARS

LIBERA

Croatian Association for Education, Entrepreneurship and

International Cooperation

Ostrovicka 4, Zagreb

udruga.libera@gmail.com

PROJECT PROGRESS REPORT  FOR „WE EMPOWER CROATIAN CHILDREN TO OVERCOME FEARS“

During this Covid 19 period we intensify work with children in the Jarun Equestrian Club, Zagreb because they need fresh air and activities outside the classrooms to prevent the escalation of behavioral disorders caused by various fears (one of the causes is the earthquake in Zagreb and corona).

This will help prevent later severe forms of anxiety in primary school children, and at the same time contribute to solving related specific social problems and proactively influence the development of the community as a whole.

The general goal of this new phase of the project is:

• strengthen professional and analytical capacities for the purpose of continuity of activities by increasing the number of specialized workshops and increasing the number of children involved in the program

The specific objectives of this new phase of the project are:

• preparation of an expert study for the purpose of maintaining specific activities in primary schools during a class community hour,

• in order to apply new ways of education, expert study has to be implemented for the purpose of detection deviations in the behavior of children covered by the program and

• for the implementation of the program in at least three primary schools in Zagreb.

The realization of project activities in the previous period is in accordance with the set goals of the project, related to the following:

• workshop  at  the Equestrian Club,  Jarunwhich  were held for small groups of children and parents,

• lectures were given by psychologist Ana Šeremet, in order to minimize the experience of fear in both children and parents  and

• thanks to the project, six children aged 8-12 attended an introductory riding course at the Equestrian club, Jarun.

We are paying special attention to the fact that children are traumatized by daily announcements about the number of infected and the number of deaths in Zagreb and beyond Croatia and that they are extremely sensitive to the fact that during this corona crisis, one of their dearest family members can become infected.

In this new phase, in accordance with the current rules of action related to the corona virus, we will improve the interaction between children and animals  because animal-assisted therapy has a number of mental health benefits such as:

• Increases self-esteem, and ability to take care of one’s self,

• Strengthens communication between children and parents,
• Lessens feelings of anxiety, isolation, and grief,
• Reduces feelings of loneliness and
• Increases socialization and sense of community.

As we told on our website.

www.libera.hr

Every fear is easy to overcome with a good friend

• Project_progress_report_042021.pdf (PDF)