n March-April 2025, students at the Faculty of History, Pedagogy and Psychology Olha Shnaider and Sofia Tsymeiko completed a month-long internship in the Kingdom of Belgium. The internship was held at the Zevenbergen Rehabilitation Centre, which provides support to people with movement, sensory, behavioral and emotional disorders.
Throughout the entire period, the students participated in the daily activities of the centre: they accompanied clients on their bike rides, visits to cafeterias, participated in music and dance therapy, and worked on the farm. These heart-warming moments of interaction allowed them to get to know the practices of both social and emotional support for people with special needs.
The atmosphere created by the centre’s employees, people with a big heart and sincere love for their work, made a special impression.
During their internship, the students also visited the Villa Praline day care centre, where they were able to assist in working with clients, and the DeMaretak centre. Here, they spent time with people in wheelchairs, took part in bike rides, and rested together in the relaxation room. Another internship location was the Spinneke centre, which has several adapted spaces for active or passive leisure, a toy library, and a space for playing and testing educational materials.
“We gained invaluable experience working with clients, got acquainted with new approaches in the field of social support, made new friends and got to know the culture of Belgium better. It was an incredible adventure that will stay with us forever,” the girls share their impressions.
In their free time, the students visited the cities of Lier, Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges and the North Sea coast. Getting to know the architectural heritage and the way of life of the Belgians left unforgettable impressions.
This internship became not only an important professional stage for Olha and Sofia, but also a source of inspiration, new ideas and experience that they are ready to pass on to their classmates, teachers and future colleagues.
It is worth noting that the internship was made possible thanks to the cooperation between Drohobych university and Belgian partners — the DVC Zevenbergen rehabilitation centre and NGO Oradea.
