Celebrate Best Buddies Peru
Best Buddies Peru was initiated in 2009 under the umbrella of Asociación Proyecto Inclusión Perú (APIP), an association founded by parents of individuals with intellectual disabilities with professionals and friends who want to promote educational and social inclusion in Peruvian society. After much hard work, the pilot chapter at University of San Ignacio de Loyola was launched on September 18th with a volunteer training followed by the matching of the first Best Buddies pairs in Peru.
Gladys Russell, a founding member of APIP and the Director of Best Buddies Peru, shares how Best Buddies Peru came to be and the impact that it has had on her family:
We were introduced to Best Buddies by staff member, Valerie Vitale, when she was in Peru visiting her family. A mutual friend arranged for us to meet. This friend thought it would be a good introduction because our son, Bryan, who has Down syndrome, had become a catalyst for our family to advocate for social inclusion since his birth. Since then in Peru, there have been many advances in education and inclusion in the classroom, but there is still a lack of social inclusion in the day to day lives of people with intellectual disabilities.
After learning more about Best Buddies, we knew immediately that this model would present a wonderful opportunity to bridge this gap to social inclusion. After some time passed, we thought that Best Buddies would be perfect fit for Asociación Proyecto Inclusión Perú (APIP). I was overjoyed when the other members of APIP agreed that Best Buddies was a project they also wanted to take on.
In July of 2009, Maritza Noya, President of APIP and I attended the Best Buddies International Leadership Conference in Bloomington, Indiana. We came back more enthusiastic than ever and started working very hard with members of APIP to make Best Buddies Peru a reality.
This vision took shape with the first volunteer training and the matching ceremony. The participants, their families, the school and members of APIP were very moved and excited. Our dream had finally come true. Bryan, who attends University of San Ignacio de Loyola said, “Best Buddies is important to include ‘special’ people (people with disabilities) into our society so we do not feel excluded but feel equal to everyone else. For me, it is a chance to communicate with someone my own age that understands me and can help me to mix socially. It is great to know that there is an organization that is trying to help us be part of the ‘normal’ world.”
We know the road ahead will not always be smooth but we are very confident that Best Buddies Peru will grow and play an active part in promoting social inclusion in Peru.
Celebrate Best Buddies Curaçao
Best Buddies Curaçao was launched in 2008 under the umbrella of Totolika, an association for parents of children with disabilities. Arthur Nivillac, Project Coordinator for Best Buddies Curaçao, participated in the Best Buddies International Leadership Conference that same year and during the conference, Arthur witnessed his student leader Christopher Nelson, embrace the Best Buddies mission. Upon witnessing this, Arthur was confident that the project would be an excellent fit in his native home of Curaçao. With a population of less than 150,000 people, Curaçao has 4 chapters in High Schools and Colleges making friends and making a difference.
After their first year of being matched, the friends came together for a party to say good bye. Many of the Peer Buddies were off to continue their studies in the Netherlands. It was very emotional because the friends had become so close over the course of the year.
As the new school year begins and the chapters reconvene, new frontiers of friendship lie ahead. As they say in Curaçao - No tin riba un amigo: there is nothing better than a friend.
Celebrate Best Buddies Panama: ¡Grandes Amigos!
Best Buddies Panama was launched in 2008 in Panama City with the support of Fundación Caminemos Juntos. Their High School chapters have generated interest from corporate entities, such as Audi Latin America, and influential members of the Panamanian Government. In July of 2008, their inaugural event honored the then-First Lady of Panama, Vivian Fernandez de Torrijos, with the Spirit of Leadership Award for her admirable work to further integrate people with intellectual disabilities into Panamanian society. With over 200 guests including the former President Martín Torrijos, Best Buddies Panama was introduced on a grand scale. Executives from Audi, as well as Anthony Shriver, were also in attendance. Internationally-renowned Panamanian artist, Olga Sinclair, created a painting that was auctioned at the event to raise funds for our new programs. However, the spotlight of the night shown most brightly upon the Best Buddies pair that spoke about their experiences with the program and warmed the attendees’ hearts with the laughter of their friendship. This auspicious beginning has joyously led to vibrant current program chapters, which continue to attract the energy of volunteers and supporters alike ... indeed, a program that is most worthy of their Panamanian title of ¡Grandes Amigos!
Celebrate Best Buddies Korea
Best Buddies Korea was established on February 14th, 2010 under the management of Ai Corea. The volunteers from Ai Corea Hankuk YukYoung School and Daewon Foreign Language High School form the first pilot chapter of Best Buddies Korea. They focus on activities that provide opportunities for volunteers, with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities, to have everyday experiences with a friend that they would not have met had it not been for Best Buddies. From this first chapter, Best Buddies Korea plans to extend programs to middle schools and high schools all over Korea.
Ga Yung Suh, a peer buddy, shares her experience with her Buddy and her recent trip to the Best Buddies International Leadership Conference in Bloomington, Indiana, U.S.A.
My buddy, Seong Hyuck, is a senior boy one-year older than I. When I first met him last March, I felt little bit afraid because he didn’t make eye contact, ignored my questions, kept looking for food, and even took my cell phone that was in my pocket. Also, when I tried to make contact with him by text messages and phone calls, he gave me no answer.
Since then, we have come a long way. We’ve become closer friends, doing lots of different things together: making ceramics and cakes, going to the movies and playing soccer, to name a few. Whenever we get together, I can see changes in Seong Hyuck. Now he often makes eye contact when I’m talking, says hello to me, and remembers my name. The last time we went out, we went to see Toy Story 3. When we met at the first floor at the theater, he came to me and shook my hand with a smile. His changes are really small that only I can recognize, but I feel really thankful and want to be his Best Buddy.
Because of the experiences I had with Seong Hyuck, I was eager to learn more about Best Buddies, so the opportunity to go to the Best Buddies Leadership Conference in the U.S. was something that I was very excited about. It turned out, unfortunately to be a really long and harsh trip to Indianapolis with multiple unexpected delays. However, once we finally arrived and shared three unforgettable days with lots of new friends from all over the world, I knew I had been greatly influenced and that through me, the rest of the members of Best Buddies Korea would be influenced and inspired as well. Since Best Buddies Korea is very small and has only one chapter and 8 pairs, I felt a great responsibility to learn from other chapters and countries. General and international sessions were really helpful and essential for Best Buddies Korea, but some cultural differences weren’t negligible. My director, Mrs. Suh, and I realized that as a new program we need to continue to work with the Best Buddies International staff to further develop our strategy of running the Best Buddies in a way that is compatible with the culture of Korea.
At the conference, I was surprised by the popularity of Best Buddies program in the U.S. We plan to one day grow and extend the Best Buddies program all over Korea. I wish other members of Best Buddies Korea could have had the opportunity to feel the energetic atmosphere of the conference and learn lots of things to improve our program. Thank you to Best Buddies for giving me this great experience.
-
- International session
Celebrate Best Buddies Brazil
Esteemed Pop-artist Romero Britto, a native of Brazil, has been a most generous supporter of Best Buddies International. Over the years, he has created multiple works of art with Best Buddies in mind, together with the goal of furthering the Best Buddies mission of friendship, jobs and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. His memorable cycling-rider jersey designs for the Audi Best Buddies Challenges: Hearst Castle and Hyannis Port, are consistently sought after by participants and supporters around the world. In honor of Anthony's late mother, Romero newly created the iconic logo for the inaugural Eunice Kennedy Shriver Challenge scheduled for October 23rd in Washington, DC. Moreover, Romero also created the Friendship Bear to celebrate the importance of these experiences among friends, as well as the positive impact that a true friend can have upon another's life.
Beyond the vibrant works of art that Romero has created, Romero's friendship with both Alina and Anthony Shriver, as well as his knowledge of Brazil, was the impetus that directly helped bring the Best Buddies movement to Sao Paolo in 2007. Our pilot program at Colégio Pauliceia has been a consistent reminder of the power of volunteerism, youth ideals, and these one-to-one friendships. Romero continues his extraordinary support of Best Buddies - in the United States, overseas and Brazil in particular - and once again he has recently contributed by invigorating and attracting a new measure of local support for our growing programs within Brazil; which will advance our objective to ultimately realize Best Buddies more comprehensively throughout the country.
Celebrate Best Buddies Sweden
Best Buddies Extrakompis, which means Extra Friend in Swedish, was initatiated as a pilot study in 2007 by Misa AB, one of the leading supported employment organizations in Sweden. At Misa AB’s core is the belief that people with learning disabilities and people with autism spectrum disorder, with the right support, can find great success and fulfillment in employment. Having employment itself can contribute to better socialization, but Misa AB also had the foresight to understand the importance of one-to-one friendships and how they can have a positive impact in the development of the social skills necessary to navigate the workplace community.
Equally as important is the opportunity Best Buddies offers to change the communities where it exists by creating a more inclusive society. In the long run, this will lead to the sensitization of employers and creation of more employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Following the success of the first Best Buddies Extrakompis Citizens pairs, the amount of volunteers interested in joining Best Buddies has been more than encouraging. We will see great things from the partnership of Extrakompis and Misa AB. Still being a young organization in Sweden, Extrakompis aims to grow their volunteer and sponsorship base as they look forward to soon becoming a strong contributor to improving the living conditions for people with disabilities while having some great fun on the way.
Best Buddies Poland
The staff from Foundation Jas i Malgosia, an organization that runs programs for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, just completed their first year with Best Buddies programs in Poland. Below, the staff reflects upon why they brought Best Buddies to Poland, how it is working, and where they are headed.
Although we just recently became a part of Best Buddies, we are already very happy that we were able to join this excellent group. During the several years that our foundation has been working with people with disabilities, we have found that there is a great need for Best Buddies programs in Poland. In our hometown of Lodz, alone there are more than one thousand individuals with intellectual disabilities.
The vast majority of our population with disabilities attends special schools where they have little opportunity to interact with their non-disabled peers. Most organized cultural and sporting events are exclusively marketed to the “healthy” members of society. Because the community at large has infrequent, if any, personal interaction with people with disabilities, it is nearly impossible for there to be a satisfactory understanding of disability issues. Therefore, the level of acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities in society is still very low and they face pity and fear regularly or are treated as a “phenomenon” or “necessary evil”.
The only way to change the status quo is to ensure that the community at large, of all different backgrounds and ages, have opportunities for joint residence and interaction, and thus get to personally know people with intellectual disabilities. Foundation Jas i Malgosia, for several years has been leading efforts in this direction in Poland. Our campaign started in February 2007 with the slogan “Different, but equal”. Since then we have worked with several Lodz kindergarten classes and primary schools. Our efforts from year to year have helped us gain a sense of importance within the community. We have held integration trips, sports tournaments, theatrical performances, and art workshops. Through our activities we observed attitudes and treatment of individuals with intellectually disabilities changing. Every day, we saw the distance between the participants decrease and the degree of social acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities increase. We saw a lot of satisfaction as participants drew scenes of possible activities they could experience together and witnessed hopes and dreams blossom within the support of this new sensation of friendship and partnership.
Success with these initial projects encouraged us to take an additional step forward. We proposed collaboration with Best Buddies International to complement our existing activities. Until that point, we had only fostered inclusion in the group setting and we knew that by adding the Best Buddies programs, it would give the participants with disabilities the chance to find a friend through a one-to-one focus. We decided to help our participants find their Best Buddies so they could have someone to call, go for a walk with or see a movie with. We wanted our participants to have an expanded view of the world around them and the confidence to navigate themselves within it every day. We also wanted to shift the perception in society away from negative stereotypes and towards the reality of the true potential of individuals with intellectual disabilities and at the conclusion of our first year; we are delighted to say that it is already working.
The community is more vocal in their support of people with intellectual disabilities. Some people call us or write emails, wanting information or with interest to help in some way while others simply want to thank us and let us know that they follow all of our activities closely. Parents of our participants with disabilities are also very pleased. They see the joy of their children and say that Best Buddies is precisely what they lacked.
During Best Buddies activities, participants have the opportunity to interact and to arouse a feeling of responsibility for themselves and for others. Initially, activities were held in very small groups and it was through these activities that natural pairings emerged spontaneously. From those pairings, we witnessed genuine amazing friendships develop over the course of the year.
What is most important for us? The smiles on the faces of our Best Buddies participants with and without disabilities alike and the shared dream that the perception of people with intellectual disabilities, through Best Buddies Poland, will radically change our country for the better.
Celebrate Best Buddies Russia
Best Buddies Russia was launched in 2009 in High Schools and Universities in Moscow. In a short time, Best Buddies Russia is already making a difference in the lives of their volunteers and the community they live in.
College Buddy, Vika Fedeeva shares about her friendship with her Buddy, Vera Koloskova.
I’m in Best Buddies with Vera Koloskova, a kind, sweet, out-going and very romantic young woman. We get together on Sundays…I go to her house and we decide how we’re going to spend the day. So far we’ve gone to a Sushi Bar, to a popular Moscow coffee shop, to a New Year’s party, and to a play about Cinderella.
I also went to one of Vera’s performances in the Theater of the Innocents, where Vera is an actress, together with other actors with intellectual disabilities. The young people there are great! We weren’t the only Best Buddies volunteers there — we saw Vitya, Vlad, Dima, and Anton too. Vera and I talk almost every day, send each other text messages, and share our dreams about our princes in shining armor. Sometimes I stay for tea with her parents and chat.
I have changed the way I treat people with Down syndrome. Before I thought that people with disabilities were somehow different, but now I see that they are just people, and sometimes they have very vibrant personalities! People know so little about them. I think some people are a bit afraid of them, but they shouldn’t be.
A lot of people ask me, “Why on earth are you doing this?” -Or sometimes they say, “Wow, you’re all heroes, so self-sacrificing." -But other friends have listened to me, and now they’re interested, too. They’d also like to be a Best Buddy.
Celebrate Best Buddies Jordan
Best Buddies Jordan was founded in 2007 under the umbrella of the organization, Family and Friends of Persons with Disabilities. Volunteer, Zuhair, shares about his friendship with his Buddy, Sanad.
Sanad and I are Best Buddies from Jordan and both attend the Amman National School. Before Best Buddies was established at our high school, we had seen each other in the hallways but hadn’t really met or spoken. This all changed once we were matched. We instantly became great friends. We spend most of our time together playing our favorite sport, football. We had the opportunity to work together on a school project and won an award for our Design and Technology submission, a proud moment for both of us.
I have learned so much from Sanad; he taught me to be patient and work harder to achieve my goals. I never thought that our friendship would have such a great impact on my life and I thank him for that. It also makes me proud to know that I have had an impact on Sanad as well. He tells me that he has become a better football player with my help. We are like brothers and best friends and most importantly, Buddies for life!
Celebrate Best Buddies Lebanon
Best Buddies Lebanon was founded in 2008 with much anticipation and excitement. The first chapters were launched in October 2008 and participation has been growing steadily. Pascale A. Khalil, Founder and Executive Director of Best Buddies Lebanon, shares about her experience raising her son and bringing Best Buddies to Lebanon.
My dreams never included having a child with a disability. When my son, Charbel was born with a disability, my husband and I were not prepared. I can still remember the long, difficult nights I spent searching for help on the internet. My son, my family, needed support and there was none. I cried myself to sleep many nights. I quickly realized that society had many misconceptions about disabilities. Children with disabilities were hidden. People were afraid of my son and would actually move their own child away from him. The harsh reality set in that only because of his disability, my son could not play outdoors, have friends, and experience life in the same way as others do.
In our research, we did find more options for him outside of Lebanon. However, we are a very close family and could not imagine leaving some family behind. Instead, we decided to stay in Lebanon and committed ourselves to changing our community by creating a more inclusive society for Charbel, one that would embrace and accept him.
I began to search for organizations that could assist with this great undertaking and I found Best Buddies International. Best Buddies’ simple mission of creating a more inclusive society through friendship, moved me. It was the answer I was looking for.
My son is now 10 and my hope is that by the time he enters middle school, Best Buddies will be flourishing in Lebanon and as a result my community will give my son, that I adore, a chance to be included.
