Minister bonds with ‘special’ children

Hessa Bint Essa Buhumaid, Minister for Community Development, inaugurated Dubai Down Syndrome Centre to receive children with Down Syndrome from age 5 until 18 years old in order to rehabilitate, train and empower them to become fully integrated into the community.

Hessa Bint Essa Buhumaid toured the centre and inspected its facilities and its innovative rehabilitation facilities accompanied by Ali Al Habbai and Eshraq Al Nuaimi, founders of the centre and Ladimari Toledo, Managing Director of the Centre.

She visited part of the comprehensive facilities in Dubai Down Syndrome Centre which provides high quality rehabilitation and inclusive environment for children with Down Syndrome. The centre seeks to achieve innovative techniques with dual care and rehabilitation and provides services that meet the expectations of parents through an exceptional and a qualified team comprising occupational and speech therapists, physiotherapists and writing, in addition to, teachers specialising in music, swimming and horse riding. All its experienced team members join together in participatory efforts to ensure that children are provided with the best modern educational and rehabilitation plans in preparation of their positive and actual inclusion.

Dubai Down Syndrome Centre aims to highlight the potential and skills of the people of determination especially children with down syndrome and be active members in the community. As such, the center also provides family support and guidance to the families of down syndrome children based on live and realistic experiences of the society in order to reduce psychological pressure on them and increase their awareness on the most adequate methods in dealing with down syndrome children.

Furthermore, Ali Al Habbai, founder of the centre, expressed his gratitude to her reassuring that the centre has been established in 2018 and through its empowerment and inclusion vision, seeks to provide an ideal rehabilitation and care environment for the people of determination and children with Down Syndrome, in accordance with the UAE rules and regulations to empower the people of determination. Dubai Down Syndrome Centre is a diversified addition to the rehabilitation and care services for the people of determination all over the UAE based on real practices, global experiences and local visions to give the best comprehensive care services for the people with down syndrome.

At the end of the tour of Hessa Buhumaid received a beautiful panting of the UAE flag shared spontaneously by the centre’s Down Syndrome children.

Recently, The Down Syndrome International, DSI, has announced that UAE national Nawal Hajj Nasser Abdullah Al Nasser, Deputy Chairman of the Emirates Down Syndrome Association, has won the 2019 World Down Syndrome Day Awards for the individual category.

Al Nasser won the award in recognition of her outstanding achievements that have enhanced and enriched the lives of people with Down Syndrome. The winners will be honoured at the 14th World Down Syndrome Congress in Dubai in 2020.

Members of the Emirates Down Syndrome Association congratulated Al Nasser for winning the award. They also praised the efforts of the association since its inception in 2006, which have had a “significant impact” on improving the quality of life of people with Down Syndrome.

The World Down Syndrome Day Awards are presented to individuals or organisations whose voluntary, professional or scientific activities have strengthened and enriched the lives of people with Down syndrome, or contributed to scientific advancement related to Down syndrome.

Also recently the Emirates Red Crescent organised a ceremony marking the World Down Syndrome Day, which is observed on March 21st every year, during which 27 Yemeni children were honoured.

The ceremony, which was held at Al Bara’im Park, in Al Mo’alla City, and supervised by Salim Al Mahrezi, the ERC Representative in Aden, featured folkloric shows performed by Yemeni troupes and competitions for children with Down Syndrome. Leaflets to raise awareness about the disease were distributed during the function.