Sofia is a young woman with a mental disability. She graduated from Vilnius University, where she studied philology. The young woman contacted our colleagues from Valakupiai Rehabilitation Center (VRC) to receive support in finding a suitable job.
Sofia loves books very much, so VRC specialists looked for a job in the field: in a library, in a bookstore, or in a publishing house, but without success. Our colleagues encouraged Sofia to volunteer at the Martynas Mažvydas National Library in Vilnius (customer service department), in order to gain more self-confidence, work experience, and to make good use of her free time.
At the beginning, training were held.She learned how to interact with the readers, provide them the needed information, and help them find the necessary book or other sources of information.
During this time, Sofia gained more self-confidence and became acquainted with the specifics of working in a library. In parallel, the young woman, alongside our colleagues from VRC, looked for a paid job. The fact that she was working as a volunteer helped her in job interviews. In the end, the young woman’s efforts and determination were successful. Sofia is currently a translator and becoming more independent with each passing day. At the moment, the young woman lives with her parents, but she is looking for a place to move. Sofia loves what she does and she is confident in her future.
The project “Labour market Employment for young Adults with a Disability – LEAD” is funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment.
