Title: From Isolation to Creation: How a ‘Creative Lab’ is transforming the lives of seniors in Estonia
The Context My name is Serhii. I am a 63-year-old Ukrainian refugee with 15+ years of entrepreneurial experience. Together with my colleague Alexander (67), I live in Ida-Viru County, Estonia. Instead of just being recipients of aid, we decided to use our skills to help the most vulnerable local group: the elderly.
The Problem: Social Isolation In regions like Kohtla-Järve, many seniors face “double isolation” — due to age and the declining social infrastructure of post-industrial towns. Isolation leads to rapid cognitive decline and depression.
The Solution: Tactile Creativity At the Ahtme Day Center (Maleva 49), we launched the “Creative Lab”. We provide occupational therapy for a steady group of 10–11 seniors. Our main tool is lightweight air-dry clay.
Why air-dry clay? It is perfect for seniors with arthritis. It doesn’t require firing, it’s clean, and the results are instant, providing a vital dopamine boost.
Our Method: Using my technical background, I create custom molds that allow even those with limited motor skills to produce high-quality figurines and puppets (Bibabo).
Skin in the Game We believe in this project so much that we currently fund it using our own social benefits. We purchase the lightweight air-dry clay and tools ourselves to ensure the sessions continue. However, the demand is growing, and our personal resources are limited. Even for a small group of 11 people, the cost of quality materials is a significant burden for us.
The Impact We see eyes lighting up. We see hands that were shaking start to create. This is “Grassroots Altruism” in action: direct, transparent, and highly effective for mental health.
How You Can Help We are planning to establish a formal non-profit (MTÜ) to scale this model across Estonia. For now, we need materials to keep the Lab running for our group. You can support us directly by sending supplies via our Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.de/hz/wishlist/ls/1QLTWO9P53T27?ref_=wl_share . No cash, just tools for creation.
Title: From Isolation to Creation: How a ‘Creative Lab’ is transforming the lives of seniors in Estonia
The Context
My name is Serhii. I am a 63-year-old Ukrainian refugee with 15+ years of entrepreneurial experience. Together with my colleague Alexander (67), I live in Ida-Viru County, Estonia. Instead of just being recipients of aid, we decided to use our skills to help the most vulnerable local group: the elderly.
The Problem: Social Isolation
In regions like Kohtla-Järve, many seniors face “double isolation” — due to age and the declining social infrastructure of post-industrial towns. Isolation leads to rapid cognitive decline and depression.
The Solution: Tactile Creativity
At the Ahtme Day Center (Maleva 49), we launched the “Creative Lab”. We provide occupational therapy for a steady group of 10–11 seniors. Our main tool is lightweight air-dry clay.
Why air-dry clay? It is perfect for seniors with arthritis. It doesn’t require firing, it’s clean, and the results are instant, providing a vital dopamine boost.
Our Method: Using my technical background, I create custom molds that allow even those with limited motor skills to produce high-quality figurines and puppets (Bibabo).
Skin in the Game
We believe in this project so much that we currently fund it using our own social benefits. We purchase the lightweight air-dry clay and tools ourselves to ensure the sessions continue. However, the demand is growing, and our personal resources are limited. Even for a small group of 11 people, the cost of quality materials is a significant burden for us.
The Impact
We see eyes lighting up. We see hands that were shaking start to create. This is “Grassroots Altruism” in action: direct, transparent, and highly effective for mental health.
How You Can Help
We are planning to establish a formal non-profit (MTÜ) to scale this model across Estonia. For now, we need materials to keep the Lab running for our group. You can support us directly by sending supplies via our Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.de/hz/wishlist/ls/1QLTWO9P53T27?ref_=wl_share . No cash, just tools for creation.