The day care centre for people with autism in Sotera implements good practices to raise awareness and support adults with autism and their families, Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos said on Sunday.

In his speech at the inauguration of the Smile Project, Karousos said that both employees and volunteers at the Smile Project, “have managed to create the right conditions so that people with autism can be educated and have better prospects and conditions in their lives.”

The centre achieved in a short period of time and to a large extent to fill the gap of daycare services for people with autism and “to provide solutions to existing daily problems, both for people with autism as well as for their families,” the minister said.

The project, he said, supports practises that focus on the integration of people with autism in society and has managed to raise awareness about the developmental disability.

The minister also submitted a donation on behalf of the transport ministry as a sign of gratitude for the work of the centre.

Smile Project first opened in Famagusta in June 2019 with plans to develop facilities to host up to eight people with autism.