An exhibition at Riga Airport invites visitors to the terminal to support young people with severe developmental disabilities.
The exhibition, A Million Candles for Group Home, is in support of the Latvian Movement for Independent Living and calls for backing for the construction of a group home for the young people. It tells the story of a social project which aims to give those involved an opportunity to be not only day-care centre visitors, but also to contribute to society.
The aim of the project is to create a group home for 16 young people with severe developmental disabilities. To raise funds for this, young people from the association's day centre work at a candle workshop, making candles according to their abilities, then selling them. However, the money raised this way is not enough to implement this large-scale project, so the association is also fundraising in cooperation with a charity, Ziedot.lv.
Airport passengers can donate to the project by scanning the QR code embedded in the exhibition, which will take them to the donation options. Information on how to purchase candles is available on the website of the Latvian Movement for Independent Living, www.lkndz.lv.
“This is a special project because it is designed and created by young people – not because they have special needs, but because they have amazing perseverance and confidence. They do not beg or complain – they act, each to the best of their abilities, even though their daily lives and those of their families are more difficult and more complex than those of other people. And they believe that their dream – a house where each of them can thrive and feel good – will be built. We at the airport hope that this exhibition will be one of the many drops of support that will help make this dream come true,” said Laura Kulakova, head of the communications unit at Riga Airport.
The exhibition will be on display at the airport until the end of January.
Image: Riga Airport
