Together We Are Stronger-A Full Life With Diabetes (KA 510)
Funded by Karelia ENPI 2007-2013

Objective of the project

The objective of the project was to improve the quality of life of diabetics, special focus being in children with diabetes.

Main activities

• Launching of new local diabetes organizations and strengthening the existing ones. • Increasing awareness of diabetes. • Trainings for diabetics and specialists. • Protection of the rights of diabetics. • Creation of the Diabetes Association website.

Achievements

A complete network of district diabetes organisations was founded during the project. A website of the Karelian Diabetes Association was designed. Guides about the rights and care of adult diabetics were elaborated. Guides about the rights and care of diabetic children were elaborated. A large contact level network was created with official power on the local and republican level. As a result of the project diabetics of all districts of Karelia have now their own diabetes branches, functioning as a defender of diabetics’ rights and as a distributor of new knowledge about diabetes. Additionally, branches function as an instructor for self care, provider of peer support and intermediator between diabetics and health care organisations and municipal administration. Work for children with diabetes widened and multiplied in the Republic of Karelia, and new means of international cooperation were established. Two schools were chosen in Olonets and Petrozavodsk as pilot schools in the development of every day work with children with diabetes. The cooperation with these schools will continue after the project to disseminate the results of this activity in other school of the Republic of Karelia. In cooperation with the diabetes organisation of Tampere (Finland) guides for children with diabetes were translated to Russian to be used in Finland with Russian speaking diabetes children and their parents and in revised form additionally in Karelia. The guides for children with diabetes elaborated to make all usual children activity available for diabetes children: care, leisure, sport, rips – according to the instructions for children themselves, their parents and specialists working with children outside home.