BINDKRACHT

Who’s up for a challenge? 

The 3House has chosen to change its course. For years we mostly worked with big organisations engaging ourselves in huge projects. Because we are grateful for the business that came our way over the years, we believe it is time to give back. Not only to our clients, but to communities as well.

We decided to support one particular local project.

Meet Nadia, mom of Sarah an 8-year old in mind, within the body of a 24-year old young lady.

“Living with a child that mentally will never grow up is a tough challenge. As a parent you are on call 24/7, knowing that your child will never « grow out of it ». She has grown, but in her heart and mind she still is a sweet  8 year old girl , with impaired capabilities and  in need of a lot of specialised care.

 

In Flanders more than 18.000 citizens with all sorts of disabilities are waiting for the financial care support promised to us by the government. Some of us have been waiting for years, and keep waiting still.  Luckily,  some of us already made it through the bureaucratic trenches, relieved to receive a yearly allowance, thus making the lives of  our disabled loved ones more livable and easier. 

As all of us know,  special care takes pockets full of money. Most people cannot cope on their salaries alone. You need some financial support from somewhere.

The Covid 19 pandemic did not make things easier  for us either.

 

Moreover, long waiting lists make it extremely difficult to have your child access a specialised shelter or institution, once he or she has come of age.

Fed up with the search for vacancies , my partner and I, together with the parents of 11 other children,  decided to build a home for our grown- up children with mental and /or physical disabilities. Together with the staff from2 specialised organisations we manage the care for our children ourselves, 24/7.

 

We founded an organization called vzw. Bindkracht. We bought a house and are still refurbishing it in order to offer a truely welcoming home for our12 grown -up disabled children. The ages of their minds range from a 6 month-old baby to that of children of 4, 6 or 8 years old. Some of our children have physical difficulties as well. Not every child is lucky enough to receive governmental support, as explained . We adhere to the principle of solidarity: every child has the right to the same quality caretaking.

 

And just on one of those days, when everything seems to work against you, I got this phone call from Veerle.

We know each other from “ different lives” .  Veerle told me she intended to support our project with her company The 3House. Her offer  of donating € 30,-  per sold box of their coaching game “The Coach’s Magic Box” is heaven sent.

 

To give you an idea how much money we need to take care of our 12 grown -up sons and daughters,  who all have their very specific needs, I’ll give you some numbers:

• To pay for our staff ( 24/7 care is needed) we need a yearly extra revenu of € 80.000,- on top of the government’s support we receive.
• We took a loan to buy the house. To have it fully adapted and equipped to their needs, we are looking for another € 300.000,-.

The financial pressure is enormous. Normally we raise money each year by taking initiatives such as «  A summer café », or organizing biking tours, or restaurant days. But Covid 19 has made this impossible since 13th of March 2020. 

 

So,  we are ever so grateful for The 3House’s initiative. The 3House cannot give us the money unless you are willing to buy The Coach’s Magic Box. Dare we count on your support and solidarity ?

Thank you in advance for making a difference for people with a disability.”

 

Nadia.

– Gregory Bateson