Sharjah24: Sharjah Press Club, a part of Sharjah Government Media Bureau, held Thursday a “Tawasul” meeting at the Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services (SCHS), the first independent UAE non-governmental organisation to advocate for people with disabilities. The meeting aimed to build bridges of communication and dialogue with local newspapers and media networks and to introduce the vision of SCHS and its various initiatives, services and achievements in the fields of education, treatment and social empowerment.

The meeting, which was held at the SCHS headquarters, was attended by Mona Abdul Karim Al Yafei, Director General of the Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services, Tariq Saeed Allay, Director General of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau,  Alya Al Suwaidi, Director of the SGMB, Asma Al Juwaied, Manager of the Sharjah Press Club, and Al Anoud Yousef, Department Officer for Corporate Communications, Saeed Butti, Public Relations Officer, Mohamed Fawzi, Director of the Early Intervention Centre, and Dr. Samia Mohamed, Director of Al-Wafa School for Capacity Development.

Mona Abdul Karim Al Yafei stressed that the SCHS, since its founding, has worked hard to translate the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, for the NGO to be a pan-Arab world-class institution providing specialised quality services for all categories of disabilities, and moving towards internationalism by including people with disabilities from various nationalities without any discrimination.

She reported that the City has provided its services this year to 1,993 students whereas 1,008 people benefited from classroom services, 123 people benefited from the family counseling service, and 489 cases were handled by treatment centre services. Around 373 people benefited from other services such as audiology, integration and employment services. Mona Al-Yafei pointed out that the SCHS building project is in the final preparation stage which would help it accommodate greater number of people and participants.

Decades of selfless service
For more than four decades, the Director General added, the SCHS has been serving the people with disabilities, working constantly to develop its programmes and specialised services for people with disabilities based on scientific foundations and highest international standards. 

The organisation has earned international accolades and accreditations in the field of supporting and educating people with multiple and severe disabilities, including the accreditation of CARF International Foundation for early intervention services for children and adolescents, the Pearson Foundation accrediation for developing students’ capabilities and providing them with academic, technical and life skills, in addition to the Microsoft accreditation for its model school for maintaining global best practices.

The City has been able to leave a global mark in the field of advocacy for people with disabilities, and change the negative societal view of empowering people with disabilities to a positive one by adopting the latest innovative methods in family counselling and educational, therapeutic and empowering curricula for them. 
The SCHS also maintains three branches in Sharjah’s major cities, Khorfakkan, Al Dhaid and Kalba. Besides, the City runs 14 specialised centres employing 733 employees, including 67 people with disabilities, translating the founders’ vision and mission for the organisation.

The Takween initiative
Through its Takween program, the City was able to establish five brands of businesses for people with disabilities. It also succeeded in achieving leadership in the music therapy program and the field of modified physical education. The organisation focused on spreading the principle of “early intervention” to reduce the effects of disability in a number of cases and protect children who were at risk of potential disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder.

Mona Al Yafei thanked the SGMB for organising the Tawasul initiative and the media professionals and journalists for their participation, stressing the media is a strategic and important partner in the success of efforts to advocate for people with disabilities.

Tariq Saeed Allay underlined the SGMB’s keenness to enhance media engagement the SCHS, which has been providing noble and pioneering services to people with disabilities, stressing that social responsibility requires everyone to be a partner in supporting people with disabilities and to promote comprehensive development and wellbeing of all.

Allay stressed that through the Tawasul initiative, the SGMB has been building bridges and opening effective communication channels between the Sharjah government entities and the UAE media stakeholders, in a way that supports the emirate’s efforts in the continuous development of its services.

The Sharjah Press Club launched the Tawasul initiative in 2018, with the aim of organising periodic interactions between the UAE media and key Sharjah government departments and officials in order to enable fruitful and constructive dialogue, share latest developments and initiatives as well as discuss future aspirations and plans.