The "IDAD Dance Group" Trip to KUWAIT
April 2009
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The "IDAD Dance Group" was invited by the President of the Kuwaiti Association for the Guardians of the Disabled, Mrs. Rihab Bourassli, to participate in the Fourth Gulf Disability Week held in Kuwait between the 24th and 29th of April 2009. The IDAD Dance Group, a group of 15 students with intellectual disabilities and outstanding acting and dancing talents, presented three theatrical performances of the play entitled "The Tales of Sheherezade" on the 26th, 27th and 28th of April on the stage of the Social Rehabilitation Complex of Sulaibikhat. The first of these performances was held during the opening ceremony of the Fourth Gulf Disability Week in front of a highly distinguished audience, under the patronage of Sheikha Feryal, wife of the Kuwaiti Prime Minister, a devoted social activist for disability, and the President of the Arab Council for Disability, Sheikh Al Fareek Doeij Al Khalifah from Bahrain. The audience also included prominent Kuwaiti figures such as the Kuwaiti Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, the Kuwaiti Minister of Information, Mrs Sabeeka Al Jasser Al Khurafi, and Mrs Munira Al Mutawwa', to name just a few.
Our students danced and acted on stage with confidence and expertise, and to express their admiration, Sheikha Feryal , the Minister of Social Affairs and Sheikh Al Khalifah from Bahrain all joined the Idad Dance Group on stage after the performance ended to congratulate each and every one.
The SPECIAL TALENTS SHOW
April 2009
Friends of the Disabled Association, the official affiliate of Very Special Arts (VSA) in the United States of America, organized on Thursday the 16th of April 2009 the Special Talents Show, at the UNESCO Palace in Beirut, under the patronage of the Minister of Culture, Mr. Tammam Salam.
The Show grouped the most talented students with intellectual disabilities from 4 different non-governmental organizations in Lebanon, in dancing and acting.
After the national Anthem and the welcome address, the Minister of Culture spoke about the importance of such an event and thanked the organizers for giving him the opportunity to be the patron of this artistic manifestation and wished good luck for all the participants.
The Show began with a dance performed by the young girls from the Idad Dance Group of the Friends of the Disabled Association, to honor the memory of the late Rahbani Brothers, afterwhich a series of folkloric dances and short musical sketches followed, alternately presented by gifted students from Dar Al Aytam Al Islamiyah with its four different centers, the Lebanese Association for the Handicapped (in Sarafand) , the Sidon Orphan Welfare Society and the Friends of the Disabled Association.
The audience was packed, in spite of the rainy weather outside, and everyone was dazzled by the outstanding performances and delighted to watch the students with special needs exhibiting on stage their amazing talents in dancing and acting.
It is hoped that, in light of the great success of this event, more organizations will join for next year's Talents Show! |
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Friends of the Disabled Association holds its
ANNUAL SPRING BRUNCH
May 2009 |
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Like every year, as soon as the daisies and daffodils start blossoming on the green hills of Mechref, Friends of the Disabled Association organized its annual spring Brunch at the Mechref Club, under the full sponsorship of the Mechref Administration and the careful guidance of its general manager, Mr. Fuad Salha, on Friday the 15th of May 2009.
Around 300 ladies cheerfully joined this event around the pool at the Mechref Club, enjoying the delicious buffet and their narguilahs under the large umbrellas, among friends and relatives.
The Brunch included a Tombola with several hundreds of presents, as well as a side-exhibit of the students' products from the workshops of vocational training at Idad Center.
Thank you, dear friends of the disabled, for joining us on this happy event, and for supporting our cause by your gracious presence and generous contributions, and … see you all next spring!
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Trip to Kuwait
Our trip to Kuwait was a great success and we will never forget the hospitality and generosity of our dear hosts, the Kuwaiti Association for the Guardians of the Disabled, who exerted tremendous effort and energy to make every single minute of this trip an unforgettable experience.
The trip included educational and entertainment activities, and …a visit to the Ministry of Information where we were received and greeted by the Minister himself in his private office!
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Message from the Chairman
It is now twenty six years since I and other members of the Friends of the Disabled Association joined hands and exerted time and efforts to realize the present I’dad Center.
Throughout the years, the Association succeeded to rise despite the many difficulties, especially during the days of the civil war.
Major developments, though gradual, took place during the Association’s life. Prior to year 2000,
the Association was providing programs and services from different modest locations. The move of the operations to the newly established I’dad Center in Mechref enabled the Association to develop its specialized programs and provide quality services and programs to a greater number of beneficiaries.
The development that we are witnessing now is due to the recently established administrative organizational structure, reinforcing its team of special educators and therapists by recruiting new experienced staff members, and adopting a structural relations organizational chart, allowing for clear responsibilities, improving communications and synergy between the different sections, and the provision of close support from community professionals.
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