NEWSLETTERS

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October, 2006

The Idad Center summer holiday , this year, was filled with unexpected events and changes, namely in light of the Israeli war on Lebanon which led to tremendous losses in lives and possessions, amounting to 1230 people killed, mostly children and women, including 19 disabled children in the Qana massacre. Moreover, almost one million people were displaced, including 430 people with disabilities. In addition, almost 90 bridges and approximately 15000 residential units were destroyed, including the Ayta-El-Chaab Center for people with special needs. Thousands of other houses, shops, industrial enterprises and farms were damaged, in addition to the Airport and sea-port and most of the roads and highways. The Israeli bombing also destroyed thousands of transportation means, including one of our Association’s school vans which was equipped with an elevator specially designed for disabled children.

All those tragic events imposed several modifications on the Association’s program of activities which were scheduled to take place during the summer of 2006; thus, the Association got involved right away, along with concerned authorities, in the numerous relief efforts to minimize the damages and difficulties, especially those facing people with disabilities and their families, and in this respect, our Center was open to accommodate the displaced in our facilities, and the Association’s telephone number was allocated as a hotline service to receive all calls and respond to all needs.

In view of those tragic events, our Association had to adopt the following measures :

• Elimination of the Summer Camp which was scheduled to take place in July 2006.
• Postponement until further notice of our Annual Gala Dinner which was scheduled to take place on 19-07-2006
• Replacement of the Annual Ramadan Bazaar, scheduled to take place traditionally before the month of Ramadan, by another Bazaar to be held between the feasts of Al-Adha and the New Year (in December 2006).
• Cancellation of the Denmark trip that was scheduled on 19-08-2006 whereby the school director was to accompany five of our disabled children to represent the Middle-East in the Denmark Festival :”Images of the Middle East”.

Our association contributed in the media by participating in several awareness campaigns to mobilize people toward the needs and the fragile condition of the disabled population in times of high stress, keeping in mind that many families with disabled children were forced to remain in their residence under fire because of the many difficulties in transport and communication.

However, and in order to lighten up this terribly dark picture, the many friends of our Association hurried to answer our call for help !

• Her Excellency Sheikha Jameela Al-Kassimy, President of the Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services, appealed to His Excellency Dr. Sultan Al-Kassimy, Governor of Sharjah, to respond to our needs and His Excellency immediately forwarded the amount of US $ 160 000 to our Association, which greatly reinforced our capacity to attend to the increasing needs of our disabled students and their families.
• The Kuwaiti Commission for the Relief of the Lebanese People, under the direction of H.E. Sheikha Feryal, spouse of Sheikh Duayj Al-Sabah, and Shaikha Anwar Al-Sabah and Sheikha Basma Al-Sabah, donated a check of US $ 10 000 for our Association.
• Mrs Rahab Boursaly, President of the Association of Parents of Disabled in Kuwait, organized a great campaign for raising technical assistance and facilities for disabled people which were sent to us via the Kuwaiti Red Crescent through the Lebanese Red Cross.
• Local financial assistance was also graciously donated for us by many of our friends in Lebanon.

Here we are today getting ready to the opening of the new scholastic year 2006-2007, hoping to be able to meet the needs of our students, most of whom lost their houses and dearest possessions, and looking for a brighter future for each and every one…

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