Rehabilitation worker Anastasija Pereļota’s impressions of the training camp in Ligatne on 16–18 August 2019
It’s a long, long time since I spent such meaningful and valuable days. Days not devoted to work or housework, but to my soul. The opportunity to take part in the training for service dog holders organized by the Service dog association TEODORS, as well as for their companions – dogs and people, that is, relatives or assistants, was like a gift to me.

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The best rehabilitation personnel from the Rehabilitation Center’s Riga Branch have once again joined forces to perform miracles – to give the companions of blind people and those with severely impaired sight the opportunity to experience the feelings of a blind person. These are not always pleasant – fear, doubt and uncertainty. To sense the stark nature of darkness. And to understand that our eyes, closeness and empathy are something more than just help. Through our daily cares, our support is a huge resource and motivation – it is security which we can offer to a person who can’t see. Do you remember the game: cold, warm, even warmer?
We play it with the help of sight. Everyday, the blind play the same game. Only with other rules that are slightly more complicated. However, with a bit of hope generated by our responsiveness and participation in this everyday existence.

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And, I think that we managed to find a compromise. The blind understood us and we understood them. At least, we tried very hard to. The most pleasant moment was when some of the loved ones of the people with impaired sight admitted,

“I never thought he/she felt like that…I realized how much my support meant to him/her…”

It was very valuable to be together, To feel together. To be aware together. To understand together.

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And thank you to the wonderful four legged helpers, whose numbers, I would like to believe, will continue to increase in Latvia every year. Because…this is not an extra. This is a necessity.

Article and photographs by Anastasija Pereļota
Ligatne, August 2019