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Holand - Emmeloord
There is a town in the Netherlands called Emmeloord. The school situated in this town has been in contact with our Secondary School no 5 for many years.
The help we received in the 80s. The school exchanges. The Poles were coming back with bags full of delicacies and difficult to obtain medicines and cleaning products. The time of normality. The connections and long-lasting friendships among families still last. The tireless Dutch teacher - Frank - in spite of his retirement prepares next stages of Polish-Dutch cooperation.
The last visit was in the autumn 2006. It especially focused on its educational elements. We visited the centers for the mentally disabled suffering from different stages of the illness. There were farms ran by mildly mentally retarded patients who looked after animals and showed round visitors, mostly numerous Dutch families with little children, which is highly educational as children learn how to be tolerant and accept differences among people. The mentally disabled produced also wax products e.g. candles and sold them themselves in the little shop situated next to the factory. Although being mentally retarded, they felt responsible for and even proud of what they did.
In the neighborhood there was also the well-equipped room designed for occupational therapy where the activities focused on singing, movement and arts were organized. Professional carers worked there next to volunteers. It left an overwhelming impression ranging from surprise and anxiety to fascination. It was the topic of discussions and serious thinking. Moreover, it was the chance to experience other reality, the common kindness and help towards the different ones, which is not, unfortunately, frequent in Poland,.
We went sightseeing Amsterdam and the Hague. Being in the Netherlands, we also saw the windmills which were not depicted Flemish paintings. We spent the evenings talking, enjoying ourselves together with our new friends. Finally, the time came to say goodbye. There were smiles and hugs even though it was raining and we were leaving. All of us knew that the vivid memories of that trip would stay with us forever .