The municipality of Itabaiana received, on Saturday afternoon (26), its first edition of the project 'Somos Capzes – Inclusive Afternoon', held by the City Hall, with the support of João Pessoa City Hall, through its Cultural Foundation (Funjope), and the Paraiban Autism Association (APA). With the presence of the mayors of João Pessoa, Cicero Lucena, and Itabaiana, Claudio Neto, Itabaiana Club gathered approximately 200 families of children with autism in times of social and cultural inclusion to stimulate their sensory skills and living with other children.
Mayor Cicero Lucena participated in the opening of the project and celebrated the initiative of Itabaiana to bring to the municipality a project that has been carried out in João Pessoa so successfully for atypical children. “I have a great affection for the project and I am very happy to see him gaining an expansion to other municipalities. The mayor has the responsibility to take care of people and those who take care of the autistic carefully, because it has sensitivity with such an important cause,” he said.
Claudio Neto, mayor of Itabaiana, thanked the support of the City Hall of João Pessoa. “It is a great time for our city to be able to launch this project with the presence of Mayor Cicero Lucena who was his forerunner in João Pessoa. We are replicating here in Itabaiana and we are the first city outside the capital to promote this moment of joy and fun for autistic children. We were happy of everything that was possible to perform this afternoon, we had several games and the accompaniment of specialized service. Itabaiana a more inclusive and welcoming city and we were happy to count on the support of João Pessoa City Hall to work more and more for this cause, ”he said.
Funjope's executive director, Marcus Alves, explained that João Pessoa City Hall participated in the expansion of this project leading to expertise the methodology that has been developed in the inclusive afternoon of João Pessoa for four years. “We presented the project during a session in the City Council and the mayor embraced the idea. The Itabaiana City Hall is absorbing the whole structure for the project through the Secretariat of Education and Culture and we of Funjope are collaborating with the work methodology, the way of organizing and the concept of the project that is already developed in João Pessoa,” he explained.
During the action, the children watched the presentation of the clowns Kika and Baba Baby and the child singer Luiz Felipe. The Tá Blz class show also cheered the children with the contagious energy of Nik Fernandes and DJ Jhony Fernandes. During the afternoon, there was also the inclusive fair with products made by the mothers of atypical children. In addition, the children were able to play in inflatable toys, interactions with color and music, and an environment prepared to welcome them. Itabaiana City Hall also offered psychopedagogical assistance throughout the afternoon.
Niedja Maria, mother of a 7 -year -old autistic girl, celebrated the city's action for thinking about atypical children and offering them a schedule. “I really liked this afternoon, it was a moment of inclusion in a different way and we need this more here in our city. It was very gratifying to participate and see the children having fun, identifying with the jokes, the activities. My daughter loved and felt very well welcomed,” he said.
The event is coordinated by the psychopedagogue and president of the Paraibana Autism Association (APA), Hosana Carneiro. “Itabaiana is the first city that is receiving the expansion of the project from the perspective of welcoming the autistic. It is within the characteristics of autists that they have a different sensory need and many difficulties to live in society, so we understand the inclusive afternoon as a social therapy, an important step in their inclusion in society,” he said.