Lesya Larikova leader of the "L'Arche-Kovcheh" community (2016 - until now)
TEAM "L'ARСHE-KOVCHEH"
Our community includes more than 100 people: 54 people with disabilities due to intellectual disabilities, 30 assistants, 5 representatives of the Board of Directors, and volunteers.
L`Arche-Kovcheh consists of four workshops, day program, a temporary shelter and a coordination office. Although we are in different parts of the city, common celebrations, Liturgies, community meetings - this is what gives us the opportunity to be together.
The workshops give Friends (core members) the opportunity to realize themselves creatively through work, communication, friendship and prayer, and thus cultivate a sense of self-worth and the value of their lives.
Every day (Monday to Friday) in the workshops, friends and their assistants make a variety of products: decorative candles, icons, soap, bead and wool jewelry, postcards, wood products; learn to be independent in everyday life
«Bee» Workshop
The «Bee» Workshop is the oldest. It was founded in 1998. Our "bees" are very hardworking and are not afraid to take on new types of work and have many creative ideas. And they love to cook at this workshop, they do it deliciously. Like bees, they like to work and to "buzz". Good opportunities for this are picnics, celebrations, joint dinners with other workshops.
«Dreamers» Workshop
There is an extremely loving and friendly atmosphere at the «Dreamers» workshop. Here, as in other workshops, friends have an exceptional ability to create a direct and sincere atmosphere around them, which attracts many volunteers and guests. "Dreamers" - because they are dreamy, cheerful and unique, to make sure you need to visit them!
«Nazareth» Workshop
«Nazareth» is the city where Christ spent his childhood. It was a bustling city, where life was bustling and bustling, because the trade route from Damascus to Egypt passed through Nazareth. As for the liveliness and noise, this is probably one of the closest characteristics of this workshop L’Аrche. «Nazareth» Workshop is the youngest and most energetic. Here friends and assistants work together, love to relax, play football. They learn to find the positive in everything and carry it to others. They like to receive guests.
«Ascension» Workshop
«Ascension» is the smallest workshop of the L’Аrche-Kovcheh. There is a family atmosphere and always a lot of communication and good mood. There is a custom in the workshop that everyone who visits it for the first time sculpts an angel from ceramic. Therefore, when you go to «Ascension», you will see a whole exhibition of angels, and be able to add to it your own man-made angel.
Daily program "Smile"
The program is focused on the social adaptation of people with profound disabilities. The peculiarity of the daily program "Smile" is that, unlike other workshops, it does not make many products, but pays more attention to building deep relationships at the heart level. The participants of this program are not verbose, but their looks and touch are more eloquent. Classes at «Smile» are planned more individually, depending on what the participants like to do.
«Vitania» Temporary Residence
«Vitania» is a place where "Friends" and assistants can share both weekdays and holidays. It is a small L’Аrsh school of life, where everyone have the opportunity to practice independent living, learn to cook, clean and many other household skills. The people of «Vitania» feel like a real family, sharing 24 hours a day. The house is also a center where members of the community gather together for various celebrations.
