Czech Republic: 47-year-old man learns to count and read for first time

The following is a translation of a press release from the Český západ civic
association:

Mr. Miroslav J. is 47 years old. He lives on a disability pension in an
assisted living facility in the Czech village of Teplá. As a mentally disabled
person, he grew to adulthood in an institution and never learned to properly
count, read, or write. This extremely restricts his life opportunities and he
has therefore decided to change that fact.

Thanks to the Český západ (Bohemian West) civic association, which works in
the Toužim and Teplá districts, Mr. J. has been attending a course to complete
his primary education since September 2012. His school supplies, transportation
and tuition are covered by the organization’s “Return to Work – Return to
Society” project (Návrat do práce – návrat do společnosti). However, the project
will soon end and with it, Mr J.’s opportunity to complete his studies. He is
now seeking other opportunities for continuing his education.

“Mr. Miroslav has a great desire to learn how to count, read and write. He is
a really diligent student who conscientiously completes his homework, prepares
for class, regularly reads his primer and does all the math tasks he is assigned,”
says Kamila Součková, a social worker from Český západ who is helping him with
his studies. “He would like to attend school next year as well, preferably every
day. Because he is already an adult, the only opportunity for him to continue
his education is to find money to pay for the next phases of education from
donors, foundations or sponsors. The fact that Mr. Miroslav is learning to count,
to read, and to write means he is taking yet another step toward independence.
New opportunities and possibilities can open up in his life.”

Mr. J. is now studying under the direction of Ms Zelingerová, a teacher at
the Practical and Specialized Primary School (Základní škola praktická a
speciální) on Vítězství Street in Mariánské Lázně. The instructors there have
welcomed him and set up an individual instruction plan for him. A disadvantage
for Mr. J. is the fact that in Teplá, the place of his residence, there are no
social services directly targeting mentally disabled clients to help him resolve
his problems more easily.

Mr. J. is one of 13 siblings and never had the opportunity to attend school
like other children. His mother passed away when he was 15 and his father did
not want to care for him, so he was institutionalized. He does not like to
remember that time in his life. The greatest experience and victory of his life
was when he left the institution at the age of 35.

Mr. J. now lives in an assisted living facility and, with the help of his
legal guardian and nurses at the facility, lives more or less independently.
Despite his disability, he loves technology – computers, telephones and
televisions. He does not like to be led by the hand or assisted more than is
necessary. He does not want people to treat him like a child, or like someone
who is brainless and inferior. He was recently profiled as part of the “Pass it
On” campaign (Pošli to dál) on the website of Radio Impuls (in
Czech only, see)

Those interested in supporting Mr. J. with his education can contact Kamila
Součková of Český západ (Bohemian West) at +420 602 663 502 or e-mail
kamila.souckova@cesky-zapad.cz
to discuss financial or other support for him. The “Return to Work, Return to
Society” project (registration number CZ.1.04/3.3.05/68.00257) through which Mr.
J. is now being educated was supported by the European Social Fund of the
European Union through the Operational Program Human Resources and Employment (www.esfcr.cz). 

Český západ (Bohemian West) provides people from socially excluded localities
in the Toužim and Teplá districts (the municipalities of Dobrá Voda, Nová Farma,
Poutnov, Služetín, Pěkovice, and Mrázov) with social services and helps them
address their adverse living situations, particularly in the areas of contact
with the majority society, education, employment, and housing. The organization
espouses the principle of equal treatment of ethnically different members of the
population and was awarded the Ethnic Friendly Employer award. In the town of
Dobrá Voda, the organization runs its own ceramics and textile workshop. For
more information, please see http://www.cesky-zapad.cz/english, where it is also
possible to purchase the workshop’s products in the e-shop.