SPECIAL needs children and their families enjoyed a nature-inspired gathering entitled Community Blooms, an eco-themed activation day of fun and socialising yesterday.
The event was co-organised by non-profit community groups One Heart Bahrain (OHB) and Special Families Support (SFS) at the Farmers Market held at Budaiya Botanical Gardens.
“We wanted to offer a meaningful experience for special needs children, emphasising a unified perspective on humanity and the shared responsibility for our planet,” explained one of the organisers Birthe van der Heijden, founder of OHB, an unregistered charity group. She collaborated with the Bahrain chapter of the international organisation SFS, founded in Dubai and with a presence in the Indian city of Mumbai.
“We put together a specially curated set of activities such as planting seeds, painting, enjoying with farm animals, games and more which would give participants a sensory experience and also offer them a platform to interact with others.”
Sara Wilson, a 30-year-old Pakistani expatriate with special needs, attended the event with her parents and enjoyed painting to her heart’s content. Her mother, Ruby, highlighted how her daughter usually wakes up late each morning but was so excited about the planned activity that she was ready for action at 5am.
“We have been associated with SFS from a very long time and are grateful to them, One Heart Bahrain and other such organisations who conduct events of this kind because it gives our children an opportunity to socialise,” Mrs Wilson added. “Sara usually spends most of her time at home and after a while that can get boring, but attending these events makes her very happy. We have been living here for 36 years but thanks to the Community Blooms event we got a chance to experience the farmers’ market.”
Ruby went on to express her deep appreciation to the volunteers for taking care of the children ‘so beautifully’.
Alice Polasek, a Czech expatriate, who attended the event with her eight-year-old son, Elias, agreed. She was full of praise for the organisers who ‘ensured a smooth communication and co-ordination with the parents at every stage’.
Elias painting as Mrs Polasek, right, and a One Heart Bahrain volunteer look on
“The biggest impact for kids like my son on the autistic spectrum is meeting and socialising with children with different needs and, of course, the fun activities were an added benefit!” she said. “Elias really enjoyed planting the seeds as it was something he has been interested in at school. He ended up guiding other children too. It felt nice to watch my son so happy and be able to interact with other parents and share experiences of being a parent of a special needs child,” Mrs Polasek added.
Eleven-year-old Ishaan Bolla, an Indian expatriate who lives in Bahrain with his parents Shravanti and Satish Bolla and sister Tanisha, was normally quite an introvert according to his family but really ‘opened up’ during the event.
“Being around other kids and also in a safe, natural environment has been really good for Ishaan,” Mrs Bolla added. “He enjoyed planting the seeds, something I didn’t expect as he has some sensory issues so, I was sure he would ask someone to do it for him. But when he saw other children doing it, he was motivated to be more ‘hands on’ with minimal instruction.”
The two charitable endeavours have organised many joint events in the past, including a Shoe Box Appeal for World Labour Day where special needs children painted shoe boxes with the help of volunteers, which were then presented as gift boxes containing essential supplies to labourers. Additionally, they have carried out food drives, walkathons, Zumba dance sessions and more.
“With Ramadan round the corner, we are busy planning food distributions throughout the holy month, which will be followed by the shoe or gift box initiative where we will also organise a hearty meal for the workers,” Ms van der Heijden revealed, highlighting that they were so happy to be involving children with special needs in such community projects.
Ms van der Heijden
“SFS global is celebrating 25 years this year, which is such a happy moment for everyone associated with the group,” an SFS representative added. “The Bahrain chapter completes 11 years and we hope to continue doing our bit for these children which, in turn, brings us happiness too.”
At the end of the event, all special needs children received participation certificates and a small plant to inspire them to sustain their connection with nature.
The GDN had previously reported that the farmers’ market at Budaiya Botanical Gardens has been drawing crowds with more than 25,000 people visiting the venue over the past month. This year’s edition underwent a major revamp prior to its opening, with authorities expanding the market to accommodate more Bahraini farmers in a bid to support local products and enhance food security in the country. The new facilities, which include a farmer’s zone, a handicrafts zone, food zone, lake zone, picnic zone, and a kids’ zone, have registered an increase in the number of visitors compared to the same time last year by about 6,000. The farmers’ market runs every Saturday from 7am to 2pm and will conclude on the Saturday before Ramadan.
For details, follow @oneheart bahrain and @sfs.special.families.support on ‘Instagram’.
mellissa@gdnmedia.bh
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