Will for Life: A Brighter Future for People with Disabilities in Velika Plana

The European Union support through the EU PRO Plus Programme enabled the association to take a significant step toward creating a more inclusive community. With total funding of 28,610 Euros, the project encompassed three key activities: establishing a neurofeedback therapy service, improving educational conditions in the "Lane" Day Care Centre, and developing a local emergency response protocol while setting up an SOS hotline for urgent assistance.

For Dubravka Milošević, the mother of a young girl with Down syndrome with difficulties in verbal communication and establishing social contacts, neurofeedback therapy has brought new hope: "Andrea now communicates more easily and shows more self-confidence. It's something we thought was impossible.” The service has become a key support for over 50 beneficiaries, enabling them to progress and achieve better results in their daily lives.

In addition to therapy, the renovated spaces of the day care centre have provided children with disabilities a welcoming and functional environment for learning and play. “Seeing our children happy and feeling welcomed here is priceless. Daily activities that are carried out within the Day Care Centre take place in a more pleasant environment” says Jovana Prvulović, one of the professional workers at the centre.

The SOS hotline has become another pillar of support for vulnerable groups in the municipality. Whether providing counselling during emergencies or offering basic information, this service empowers the community and provides security when it’s needed most.

The project has not only directly benefited people with disabilities but has also left a profound impact on the entire community of Velika Plana. The President of the Association, Radovan Radulović, emphasised that such projects are an example of how, with the right support of the local community, they can become stronger and more connected. "Our project has set a clear goal - improving the quality of social services for people with disabilities and increased readiness to respond to emergency situations in the municipality of Velika Plana. I am very proud that we have achieved that goal."

After visiting the “Will for Life” Association, Nikola Bertolini, Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia, stated: “This project is the foundation of living together in the community, which means caring for others, especially people with disabilities.”

For all of us who believe in the "will for life," this project is a testament that every step toward inclusion is a step toward a more humane society.

This initiative was part of a broader effort of the EU PRO Plus programme to enhance social services in 23 local self-governments across Šumadija and Western Serbia, and Southern and Eastern Serbia. With total funding of 521,629 Euros, the programme supported 20 projects aimed at improving the quality and sustainability of local social services. The majority of these projects were implemented by civil society organisations (CSOs) either independently or in partnership with local self-governments (LSGs), while a smaller number of projects were carried out by LSGs in partnership with CSOs. The focus of the projects was on providing adequate social services to children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups. Additionally, they aimed to reduce the negative impact of Covid-19 on vulnerable groups and improve the resilience of public institutions and other social service providers.