Donate toys and make a difference

The Mother, Baby and Child Show Abu Dhabi calls on people to help make a difference by donating toys to autistic children.

Autism is the most common of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders, affecting an estimated 1 in 146 births. A simple donation of a toy, book or game at the Mother, Baby and Child Show (MBC) in Abu Dhabi, will help to brighten an autistic child’s life and help raise funds for the Gulf Autism Centre based in Abu Dhabi.

Children need toys and books to develop necessary motor skills, says the US National Institute for Early Education Research. Studies also show that infant toys are critical for brain growth that affects learning later in life and play is essential for all children to lead happy, healthy, and productive lives,.

Most children receive an abundance of gifts during birthdays and festive occasions, many of which get put away in a cupboard and never used. Encourage your child to share and re-gift one of their many presents or at least ask you children to donate toys they have outgrown, if those toys are in good condition or still in their original packaging.

“This year we also wanted to help make a difference to the lives of children in need, which is why we are launching our special donation drive for the Gulf Autism Centre, as well as our ongoing support to the Make a Wish Foundation.” says Shannon Norris, Events Director for TME, the organisers of the MBC Show:
People who wish to donate can drop off their toy donation at the Mother, Baby and Child Show which will take place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre on 29-31 May 2008. As a way of saying thank you, parents will receive a free entry ticket per family.

Now in its second year in Abu Dhabi, the MBC show offers plenty of free advice as well as the latest in childcare products, goods and services for everyone from parents-to-be through to parents with children up to the age of eight.
“As well as parental and medical advice, there is plenty for children at the show including appearances from their favourite TV characters, entertainment, play areas, goodie bags and bundles of fun,” adds Norris.

“Other highlights this year include a Fashion Show by Babyshop, with clothes modeled by children from the Gulf Autism Centre. To celebrate our first birthday, children born between 29-31 May 2007 will also be invited to join us on stage for cake, games and gifts.”

The special draw at the show will offer a star prize of 2 return tickets to New Zealand courtesy of Air New Zealand, as well as many other fabulous prizes.

The Mother, Baby and Child Show Abu Dhabi is expected to attract 150 exhibitors this year. An impressive 15,000 visitors visited the show in 2007 and TME, the show organisers, are expecting a great turnout again this year. Sponsors of the event include: Fuji Film, Fine, Milupa, Air New Zealand, National Bank of Abu Dhabi.

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ECSSR donates AED 750000 to UAE charity

The Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) has donated the amount of AED 750000 to the Zayed Higher Foundation for Humanitarian Welfare and Minors Affairs.

ECSSR has recently won the Sheikh Zayed Award for Publishing and Distribution.

Based on ECSSR's mission and support to the community, the donation comes as part of its efforts to support the Foundation's humanitarian operations.(WAM)

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RCA's overseas humanitarian operations in 2007 reach AED 281 millions

Around 281 million dirhams (USD 76,5 millions) in relief, humanitarian and development operations were carried out by the Red Crescent Authority of the United Arab Emirates in 2007 posting a growth rate of 50% over the year 2006.

RCA has been able to keep pace with developments on the international humanitarian arena, thanks to the guidance and follow up by Deputy Prime Minister and President of RCA Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, according to chairman of the board of directors of RCA Khalifa Nasser Al-Suwaidi.

"The UAE's biggest humanitarian and relief agency offered around AED 76 millions to help out victims of natural disasters and armed conflicts in 40 countries worldwide. Somalia and Palestinian Territories, Sudan, Lebanon and Afghanistan were prioritized by RCA's humanitarian agenda," said RCA's Secretary General Saleh Al-Taei.

The most vulnerable people in those countries, he added, received RCA's urgent aid channelled through the regional and local Red Crescent Societies, charities and relief agencies in respective countries.

World Food Programme (WFP), Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were among the organizations that RCA worked with to alleviate the suffering of underprivileged people worldwide. (WAM)

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National project for people with special needs launched

In a pioneering step to integrate people with special needs into the mainstream of the society and improve the quality of their lives, the Zayed Higher Organisation for Humanitarian Care, Special Needs and Minors Affairs has launched a national project to protect the human rights of this category.

Called the National Inclusion Project, the initiative aims to raise awareness about the people with special needs and promote opportunities for these individuals.

“The idea is to establish and strengthen the provision for special needs people through specific strategies,” said Mohammed Fadel Al Hameli, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of the organisation.

Speaking to the Press yesterday at the Emirates Palace, he said the project would be achieved through developing the mechanisms that facilitate the services provided for disabled using the already existing resources.

“We hope to engage the local community to effectively participate in the planning and application of this project,” he said.

Being held under the patronage of Shaikha Fatima bint Mubarak, President of the Family Development Foundation (FDF), the project, with the theme ‘Making a difference’, would kick off on February 24 and continue till October 23. It would cover all the 13 centres for the disabled in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Hamili said: “It aims at comprehensive inclusion for the disabled at social, functional, academic, health and environmental levels, as well as ensuring equality of opportunities for them in all fields of life and creating multi-agency working partnerships at organisational and individual levels.”

The project also would highlight the need to build respect for the life-long independence of individuals with special needs and provide them with appropriate living and working environments, appropriate vocational education and life skills by removing social and physical barriers, he said. The participants of the project would be rewarded with a golden grateful shield, or a silver grateful shield or a letter of appreciation, according to certain criteria.

Ali bin Salim Al Kaabi, Head of the Broad of Trustees for FDF, praised Shaikh Fatima for adopting this initiative to ensure stability of the social fabric.

Etisalat, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Abu Dhabi Airport Company (ADAC), Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce, the National Drilling Company, Wafa for Financial Services and Manazel for Real Estate are sponsoring the project.

Ali Al Kutubi, Director of the Civil Service Department, said based on the Cabinet instructions, his department would increase the quota for the disabled in the public sector by two per cent. The disabled formed 10-15 per cent of the total employees in the public sector now, he said.

Sultan Al Dhairi, Deputy Manager of Etisalat’s Abu Dhabi Region, said Etisalat would take part in the project by offering a 50 per cent discount for services such as Push to Talk, mobile MMS and SMS, fixed 3.5 G mobile data access, 3G Video/Voice Calls and Al Shamil Broadband during the project. Source

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