For over 120 years, obvita has been committed to equality for people with disabilities. The company creates prospects for young adults with advice, housing options and apprenticeships.
Get a taste of assisted living
In order to clarify whether "Living in adolescence" at obvita can offer the right solution in individual cases, all interested parties start with two trial weeks. The weekly program offers clear structures and room for self-determination. Accompanied by obvita staff, residents go shopping on Monday evenings, for example, followed by a group meeting in which current topics are discussed. Social contacts, sport and club life are an important part of the socio-educational support. The teenagers and young adults meet in a gym or visit clubs such as the FCSG Unified team, goalball training, blind jogging or the petanque club.
"At obvita, we pay close attention to actively involving people and encouraging them to have a say."
Niklaus Keller, coordinator for youth housing at obvita
Starting your career
Like William Tighe, most of the teenagers and young adults who live at obvita use the housing offer in conjunction with an apprenticeship. The social enterprise provides training in 18 different professional fields: from housekeeping practitioner and health and social care assistant to polymechanic. Certain occupational groups are offered with a focus on people with support needs, which is unique in Switzerland and means that trainees from various cantons move to St.Gallen.
"My favorite thing to make is Riz Casimir"
One of the residents is William Tighe. He came to Switzerland from Germany with his family four years ago and started looking for an apprenticeship - he found what he was looking for at obvita. For the past year, he has been training as an industrial technician, assembling refrigerator components, packaging medicines and also chocolate, his favorite activity. Together with three other young adults, he currently lives in the main house and is learning the skills he needs to achieve his personal goal: He wants to live on his own one day. In addition to his training and the associated tasks, he does a lot of housework, laundry, cleaning and cooking. "My favorite thing to do is Riz Casimir," says the 19-year-old. However, due to an autism spectrum disorder, shopping in particular sometimes presents him with major challenges, for example when the department with fresh produce is rearranged. Although he would like to live alone, he likes living together in the shared flat.
"76 young people are currently completing an apprenticeship with us or are in the process of preparing for one."
Gabi Soldati, Coordinator of the Vocational Training department at obvita
This article was created in collaboration with obvita. The full article appeared in SaintGall magazine in November 2024.
Text: Stefan Feuerstein
Pictures: Urs Bucher
