Waha Farm – an inclusive meeting place

In the first project phase in 2018, the project participants got to know each other in reciprocal visits. In July, a delegation from Erlangen travelled to Lebanon and visited the Bkeftine municipality and the Wahat Al-Farah facility. Wahat Al-Farah is a non-governmental organisation that offers children, young people and adults with disabilities the prospect of employment through training and work opportunities in its workshops. The visitors from Germany were impressed by the excellent support facilities and highly trained staff. In terms of professional expertise, it very quickly became clear that the educators were meeting as equals.

Centre stage in the exchange was the discussion on partnership objectives and the priority areas of the joint project work. For both sides it is particularly important to raise awareness of the rights and concerns of people with disabilities, which are often not recognised in Lebanese society.

The Lebanese partners were most interested in the animal-assisted education work trialled at a youth farm in Erlangen. Although this approach is almost unknown in Lebanon, it would usefully complement the services currently offered in Wahat Al-Farah, as people with autism and other non-verbal disabilities can benefit greatly from contact and interaction with animals.

The German delegation then invited three of their Lebanese colleagues to visit Erlangen. As part of the work-shadowing assignments at the local Youth Farm at the end of August and beginning of September 2018, they learned first hand how the inclusive, animal-assisted pedagogical concept and other outdoor and environmental education approaches were applied in practice. In addition, the objectives and visions of the cooperation arrangement were specified in greater detail in the many joint meetings.