Shag navstrechu (Step forward)

"Step forward" was created in 2004 in St. Petersburg, Russia, in order to provide additional support for children with disabilities who live in the orphanage. In 2011 “Step forward” also started to support adults who moved from the orphanage to psychoneurological orphanages for adults. Structure of the organization is divided into three departments: volunteers department, department of specialists and medical rehabilitation department. Now 63 children live in building we oversee. There are several groups in the building, 4-8 children live in each group. Each group has 1 tutor and 1 nurse, who are not able to take care about each child individually. That is why “Step forward” attracts local and international volunteers, who daily support and take care about disabled children. Aims of our organization are: -social support and care after disabled children and adults of the orphanage №4 (3rd building) in Pavlovsk, St Petersburg; -assistance in finding families for the orphans; -help children of the orphanage in development of emotional, cultural and physical spheres through organization of regular events. Our goals are: -to teach disabled children main self-service skills for them to be ready for adult life; -individual care and support of each of 63 children; -mental and physical development through art and music classes, work with physical therapists, everyday classes, etc.; -to make disabled people an equal part of the society; -to widen society's knowledge about people with disabilities. Our main goal is to give love and care, to compensate the lack of care and support for the orphans, who extremely need it and who have no emotional with family or relatives.for future work with kids.ing In order to develop our activities in 2016 we started to participate in Erasmus+ program and started to host EVS volunteers. It brought new breath in our organisation, local volunteers became more interested in joint activities as there they can meet international youth, spend time together, discuss various things, learn new cultures and traditions. That is why now we wish to increase international activities in our organisation by giving our members and volunteers a chance to participate in various youth exchanges and training courses for their personal and professional development, improvement of English and learning new cultures.