Persons with disabilities create souvenirs for Presidency guests

Fifteen persons with disabilities have created souvenirs for the Heads of Delegation coming to the informal meeting of the European Union (EU) Ministers for Employment and Social Affairs in Riga next week.

The small handmade gifts - little owls which have been the symbol of wisdom and knowledge since ancient times - will remind the participants of their joint meeting in Riga. These souvenirs reflect one of the priorities of the Latvian Presidency in the field of employment and social policy - the inclusion of persons with disabilities.

The owls were made in social skills development workshops for persons with mental illness aged between 26 and 61 at the Lielbērze subsidiary of the Zemgale State Social Care Centre (SSCC). The gifts made with care and love attest to the talent that these residents of state social care centres have for creating small wonders. The creators of these handmade gifts have also enclosed a short message to the meeting participants.

The owls are made from felt in tones taken from the colour palette of Latvian nature.

In preparation for the Latvian Presidency of the EU Council, the Ministry of Welfare organised an internal contest among the state social care centres to produce the souvenirs. Several centres took part in the contest by submitting a total of 35 different items: owls that had been handmade in a variety of colours and using different techniques - knitted, crocheted, woven, embroidered, and painted. The souvenirs made by Lielbērze were chosen as the most suitable.

The informal meeting of the EU Ministers for Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs (EPSCO) will take place in Riga from 20 to 22 April under the Latvian Presidency of the EU Council.