About Us
DUHA Association
Social services for people with mental disabilities
Společnost DUHA (DUHA Association) is a registered institute which has been – for 32 years now – providing services to adults with mental disabilities.
The mission and guiding principles of Společnost DUHA, z.ú.
The mission of Společnost DUHA (DUHA Association) is to work together with adult individuals with mental disabilities with the aim of expanding their opportunities in various areas of their lives.
• Living – the opportunity to live in ordinary flats in different parts of Prague and to care for their own home environment.
• Work and education – the chance to take an active part in various activities, to learn the necessary skills for everyday life and, where possible, to find employment.
• Leisure time and recreation – the chance to use their free time doing things that interest them, just like other people living in Prague.
• Friends, family, relationships – the opportunity to develop and experience relationships with people close to them.
• Life in society – the right to exercise their right to vote, to use public services, to be involved in cultural events aimed at ordinary citizens, to develop normal relations with their neighbours…
Společnost DUHA provides various social services
• Sheltered Housing
• Support for Independent Living
• Day Service Centres
Společnost DUHA endeavours to influence the social environment and public opinion in a positive way, it endeavours to protect the rights of people with mental disabilities, it provides consultancy services and runs specialist courses for those who work in this field.
Sheltered Housing
The mission of Společnost DUHA’s Sheltered Housing project is to enable adults with mental disabilities to live in flats in various parts of Prague and to support them according to their individual needs, so that they are able, to the best of their abilities, to assume responsibility for their domestic environment and for their own lives.
• Basic principles underlying our work – we believe that every person is unique and people with mental disabilities, just like everyone else, should exercise their own personal freedom in their endeavours to fulfil their particular wishes and to find their place in the world.
• We help our clients in order to ensure they are able to look after themselves and, where possible, to live their lives as independent individuals.
• We secure the support of an assistant for clients living in sheltered housing.
• Our objective is to help our senior clients remain in sheltered housing for the rest of their lives.
The target group are adults with mental disabilities.
Společnost DUHA provides sheltered housing services in 15 flats all over Prague. We endeavour to situate sheltered housing in various districts around the city, so that the flats are not located in a single apartment block, which is customary elsewhere. We are therefore fulfilling our mission to integrate our clients into the community, where they live alongside other inhabitants of Prague. We provide these services to 31 adults with mental disabilities and we try to ensure that the needs of each individual are met, which calls for professionalism and expertise in the evaluation of our clients’ needs.
Support for Independent Living
— a new service registered in 2011, and launched in 2012 — The mission of Společnost DUHA’s Support for Independent Living is to enable adults with mental disabilities to live in their own flats in various parts of Prague and to help them live independent lives according to their individual needs. We look for ways to help our clients make their own decisions concerning their particular environment. We endeavour to ensure that the measure of support we provide enables clients to take control of their own decision-making.
DUHA’s Support for Independent Living programme for adults with mental disabilities is the only one of its kind in Prague. Families who previously cared for their children on their own now have the chance to give their adult children their own independence, to offer them the support of our services, while their children will continue to live in the household environment to which they have become accustomed. We currently provide support for six clients and we plan to extend this service to cater for all applicants.
The target group for this service are adults with mental disabilities who live in their own flats and need the support of an assistant for day-to-day matters.
Day Service Centres (DSC)
The mission of DSC is to provide adults with mental disabilities with social services in ordinary apartment blocks in Černý Most and Vysočany, where users are in contact with society. This service gives clients the chance to spend the day engaged in various activities, and also learn skills, which they need for everyday life. This service is open to as many as 50 - 70 clients.
Basic activities include working in various craft workshops (ceramics, art and woodwork), and also improving everyday skills such as cooking and shopping. Clients also enjoy visiting various clubs where they can focus on their particular interests (sport, exercise, education, conversing on specific themes). The target group for this service are adults with mental disabilities aged 18 and above, who need support in different areas of their lives. This service is aimed specifically at clients who are no longer able to work on the open labour market and who, due to their particular restrictions, have problems working in a sheltered environment. Socio-therapeutic workshops are also no longer suitable for them. These are individuals who need a greater level of support, or they may be elderly clients.
Společnost DUHA Funding
The civic association Společnost DUHA – the integration of people with mental disabilities – acquires the majority of its funding in the form of state grants from the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and via grants from Prague City Hall’s Department of Social Care. This funding is crucial to us, without which we wouldn’t have been able to make DUHA what it is today. Nevertheless, we continue to seek other means and sources of funding (see the section Donors and Sponsors). We would like to thank everyone who has made a donation.
How you can help
The mission of Společnost DUHA (DUHA Association) is to work together with adult individuals with mental disabilities with the aim of expanding their opportunities in various areas of their lives.
• by sending a donation to account number 35-7272940217/0100 at Komerční banka.
• by making a regular contribution via standing order to account number 35-7272940217/0100 at Komerční banka. Please write your name and address in the space reserved for messages for the recipients (zpráva pro příjemce) so that we can write to thank you and, if required, we would be glad to send you a gift agreement (contract of donation) with confirmation of receipt (please let us know).
• by sending a DONATION ONLINE or via transfer using payment gateway services.
• or via material gifts or complimentary services.
• by supporting our PF project – New Year greeting cards whose sales benefit those in need You can choose and purchase an original picture or design painted by our clients, and create your own personal or company New Year greeting cards [PF – Pour féliciter]. The paintings are grouped in various price categories: 20,000 CZK, 15,000 CZK, 10,000 CZK, 5,000 CZK, and 3,000 CZK. You will acquire the original work and, if you wish, you can have it designed as a New Year greeting card – just choose one of our graphic designs. We have put together a new catalogue of paintings for our greeting cards. You can take a look at our catalogue here.
For more information in English, please contact our Fundraising & PR staff member, contact see bellow.
• by attending our annual fundraising event Wine for DUHA.
This traditional event takes place each November or December (on Friday 29 November 2019 this year) in the friendly and informal Kaaba Café (Kavárna Kaaba). By purchasing wine donated to Společnost DUHA by Czech and Moravian vintners, you will be supporting specific projects organized by Společnost DUHA.
• by purchasing handicrafts or paintings created by our clients in the Day Service Centre – DSC DUHOVKA Gallery or DSC Nová DUHA (New DUHA).
CDS DUHOVKA Gallery
Specialises in: jewellery, art and textiles
Staromlýnská 577/4
190 00 Prague 9 – Vysočany
CDS Nová DUHA
Specialises in: ceramic and cardboard artefacts, baskets, wooden artefacts
náměstí Plukovníka Vlčka 696/4
190 00 Prague 9 – Černý Most
For further information about donations, please contact:
Mgr. Margita Losová, Fundraising & PR
mobile: (+420) 724 034 356
e-mail: losova@spolecnostduha.cz
DUHA Laundry
Společnost DUHA established the social enterprise Duhová prádelna (DUHA Laundry) in 2011. In 2016 Společnost DUHA extended social enterprise and in 2017 opened second division of DUHA Laundry (Duhová prádelna 2), which gives employment to up to 9 people with mental or health disabilities.
