Eight Years of Struggle – A Girl from Saaremaa Finally Gained the Freedom to Move

Naerata Ometi MTÜ is a charitable organization that, since 2009, has been providing support to children and families living in Estonia who are facing hardships. Our mission is to offer vital assistance to children with special needs, families experiencing financial difficulties, and individuals requiring medical support, helping those who lack other support networks. In addition to financial and material aid, we also provide advice and guidance, and raise public awareness about the needs of children with special needs and families in need.

When the goal is big and the heart is strong, not even bureaucracy can stop you.

In 2017, a determined mother from Saaremaa began the toughest battle of her life – with one goal in mind: to ensure that her daughter, who uses a wheelchair, could move freely in and out of their home. What may seem like a basic human right turned into an eight-year-long battle against bureaucracy, indifference, and opposition.

Due to the girl’s condition, it was clear that no interior solution was possible – an impartial assessment ordered by the local social services department confirmed that the building’s structure made it unfeasible. The only option was to build an external wheelchair lift.

But more than just a construction project lay ahead…

The mother submitted a request to the apartment association, hoping for the residents’ approval. The responses she received were:

🚫 “The lift would look ugly.”
🚫 “Why is it even needed?”
🚫 “Do it somewhere else.”

Some neighbors actively resisted the project, constantly changing their arguments, even trying to claim that the girl didn’t actually need a lift despite being in a wheelchair. Some even contacted our NGO in an attempt to stop the project. In the early stages, the local social workers also opposed the initiative.

Justice Wasn’t Given – It Had to Be Fought For

Thanks to the family’s persistence and public support, the story reached the media and went to court – and the family won. But the challenges didn’t end there. The initial technical conditions set by the electricity provider were financially out of reach for the family. Years passed, and the cost continued to rise – from an initial estimate of €30,000, it ultimately took €55,000 to complete the lift.

The Role of Naerata Ometi and Our Supporters

Naerata Ometi NGO supported this family three times and stood firmly by the mother and daughter, despite the initial lack of support and significant resistance.

Thankfully, we weren’t alone. Help also came from:

🤝 Lions Club
🤝 Wallester AS and Sergei Astafjev
🤝 Sõbralt Sõbrale
🤝 The local municipality, which in the end contributed the largest share of the funding

Together, we made it happen – the lift was completed, and today it serves exactly the purpose for which the fight began: to provide the opportunity to live a fuller, more independent life.

A Story of Faith, Resilience, and Human Dignity

Today, this lift is more than just a structure of metal and machinery. It is a symbol of triumph over injustice. It is a dream fulfilled. It is a young person who can now move, experience, and live more freely.

💛 A heartfelt thank you to all supporters!
Every donation, every word, every good deed helped. This is a shared victory.
Thank you for believing!