The Healing Arms Project outside the walls of the Children's Home – 2011

In August 2011 nine children aged 5 to 10 of the Broumov Children's Home, Horní Čermná Children's Home and the institution of Klokánek Brno Endangered Children's Fund came to the Orlické Mountains for the third year of the Healing Arms Project on the Road.

Many therapeutic and recreational activities were on offer again. These activities included canistherapy (under the watchful supervision of the canistherapists of Dibaq a.s.), Little Clown therapy with Ken Nash, art therapy and music therapy. The children were also able to spend time with and groom a horse named Laik who they took rides on throughout the day and with whom they could interact. This year we also tried something new by setting up an Indian wigwam were we held a „ceremony“ focusing on joy and freedom – dancing around the fire accompanied by the sound of native American drums.

During their free time the children were able to jump on a giant trampoline, try their hand at marksmanship, pick herbs and go treasure hunting in the woods. Much to the enjoyment of all we also organised a ride on a tractor and on a hay-cart – which might not seem like much to some but was an extraordinary experience for the children.

We would like to thank our volunteers Martina Podéšťová, Radka Slavíková, Jitka Navrátilová, Veronica Bucharová, Veronika Koucká, Ken Nash and Pavel Valenta for their unending patience and support of the children. Also our volunteers Roman, Lenka and Láďa for their outstanding idea of the go-kart rides and for arranging it.

Further, we are ever grateful to the owners of the Radost cottage for allowing us to use their entire premises and the surrounding area. And last but not least to our kind sponsors the Clifford Chance Foundation, Veronika Bucharová, the Mazzoti family, River Side School, Noen, a.s., Dibaq a.s., Pony klub – Stabenfeldt, Ján Lehet and Eva Hlaváčková.