Introduction
Since 2005 the care farm plays a vital role within the Paardenmaat. The daily management is in the hands of drs. Sieka de Wit. She has a practice for pedagogical support and day care, called Etenoha, which specializes in therapy with the help of animals. The Paardenmaat is the home for 32 horses and ponies, who have, also thanks to the unique location of the Paardenmaat within park Lingezegen, a healthy accomodation there.
The Paardenmaat is special among care farms due to the large variety of work. You can chose several different ways to spend your day. There’s a horse crew, a garden and maintenance crew and during the summer months there are opportunities to help in the tea garden and the small store, or to help in the baking crew.
One of the important added values of the care farm is the direct contact with the horses. Our focus is on communication, with colleagues and horses, based on mutual respect and trust. The open atmosphere contributes to an environment where everybody can develop him/herself in their own way. Also, working outside most of the time makes us more aware of the seasons. Every season brings its own work and rhythm. For example: in the summer we like to take the horses on hikes, while in winter we are inside more often to warm up beside the woodstove.
Activities
Individual wishes and capabilities are taking into account, the participants can express their preference for the group they want to join. Together with the management, a personal supportplan is made, which is executed through a structured and clear week structure.
A small selection of the work:
Horse crew
- Feeding the horses, brushing and hugging them, taking them to the fields.
- Mucking out stables, sweeping the hallways, cleaning up and cleaning the water buckets.
- Learning how to handle horses and learning about their nature.
Garden and maintenance crew
- Feeding the chickes, collecting eggs.
- Care for the plants and the terraces. The maintenance of the fields, pruning trees, mowing, picking fruit and collecting walnuts.
Baking crew
- The baking of cakes and cookies, making lemonade.
- Catering lunch.
Tea garden crew
- Welcoming people, taking orders, serving coffee and tea, clean the terraces.
- Making products and selling them in the little store of the tea garden.
Why the Paardenmaat?
Elois: I’m accepted and valued the way I am.
Fenna: you can do a lot of different things and in your own pace.
Marcel: I find tranquility, friendliness and collegiality here.
Martin: I enjoy working with the horses, and while working in the gardens I can get rid of my extra energy.
Mark: You can choose whether you work together or work alone for a while.
Manouk: I can be myself.
For who?
Care farm the Paardenmaat is available for children ages 6 to 12, and for adolescents and adults from 17 years onward:
- with a mental disability
- with an autistic spectrum disorder
- with a psychiatric background
- who do not qualify for paid work
- with adhd
- with an attachment disorder
Guidance
There is a team of professionals working with Sieka de Wit. Together we ensure the structure, continuity and safety of the participants. This team is reinforced with a group of volunteers with different backgrounds in the field, and interns from several educational programs.
When and costs
The care farm is open 4 days a week, being Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The day starts at 09:00 o’clock and ends at 15:30 o’clock. Per day there is room for 6 to 12 participants. When there is sufficient interest, there are possibilities to help in the tea garden on the weekends in the summer vacation.
There are two groups for the children: on Wednesday from 13:00 to 16:00 and twice per month on Saturday from 09:00 to 15:00.
This day care is financed through PGB for day care. Also there are possibilities for ZIN.
Contact
Are you interested or do you have questions? Please contact:
Drs. S de Wit
phone: 00316-18032448
email: info.etenoha@gmail.com
adress: Rijkerswoerdsestraat 21, 6836 AG Arnhem.
