Train4Family

#Train4Family project international meeting in Sarajevo
03.04.2024
The #Train4Family International project meeting in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina, on 3rd and 4th April 2024, was a landmark event, significantly advancing the project's objectives. Initiated by host's welcoming speech, the gathering quickly moved into productive presentations and discussions by Partner Associations, highlighting collaborative achievements and future strategies. Key discussions centered on the project management plan, state of the art, dissemination plans, and the development of an e-learning platform, which were interspersed with networking breaks that enriched participant connections.
The second day focused on finalizing the dissemination plan, refining the manual, planning pilot sport activities, and setting future project milestones, including the scheduling of the next meeting. This intensive two-day session ended on a high note, with clear action items and a renewed commitment to the project's success.

Families play an important role in society, both in human sustenance and individual development. Sport has tremendous potential for bringing parents and children together in a healthy and playful environment. Children with disabilities often lead a passive lifestyle due to a lack of adapted sports content and unhealthy nutrition which has negative consequences on their health. Families of children with disabilities are usually not properly instructed in the methods of conducting sports or nutrition by which they could contribute to improving the lives of their children.

Train4Family project aims to include children with disabilities with their family in social life, to improve the quality of their lives, to make them closer with the family, to make them included in sport recreation and consuming healthy diet by creating an environment which enables their development. As part of the project, families will be educated under the guidance of trainers/coaches, and educational content available on the platform as well as in the manuals on methods of implementing sports for children with various types of physical or intellectual disabilities. By including the whole family in sports activities, it promotes a healthy lifestyle for the whole family, makes parents/guardians/siblings more included and active in the life of their family member with disabilities.

Physical activity has proven positive effects on the overall physical, mental, and emotional health of all persons, making it a valuable instrument for raising the quality of life of children with disabilities. By using athletics and swimming we want disabled children aged 6-18 to come together with their parents/guardians/sibling. Project activities are focused on improving the quality of life of children with disabilities, their families, and actively promoting sports and healthy nutrition as mechanisms through which to reduce the degree of marginalization and improve the conditions for social integration of children with disabilities.

Train4Family is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union and will be implemented by an international consortium of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Turkey, Italy, Slovenia and Spain.