Competitions identify unique abilities in people with special needs

Abu Dhabi: Mohammad Taweel worked carefully to select the most perfect red roses and orchids for his flower arrangement, then patiently inserted them into the tray. The 24-year-old from Lebanon then tucked in the greenest leaves, and stood back to see the overall effect.

“I like to arrange things, and put them in order. Because this is a hobby of mine, I am confident my entry will win in the flower arrangement contest,” Taweel, who is enrolled at the Future Centre for Special Needs (FCSN), told Gulf News.

Although Taweel suffers from Down’s Syndrome, his mentors said that this doesn’t stop him from chasing his interests, which include a passion for photography and music.

He is one of more than 100 people with special needs who participated Thursday in the first UAE-wide Skills Challenge, a series of 12 skills-related competitions that aimed to identify unique abilities in participants. The challenge was organised by the FCSN, and saw the interest and involvement of 14 different centres from across the UAE.

It was inaugurated on Wednesday by Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister for Culture, Youth and Community Development.

The various competitions explored skills in word processing, powerpoint, poster design, webpage design, henna painting, embroidery, pot painting, acrylic painting, flower arrangement, basket weaving, waste reuse art and wood carving.

“As a centre for special needs, our role is to discover and develop the talents of our pupils. And through this event, we hope that more and more people with special needs in the UAE will gain proper recognition and meaningful placements in society,” said Dr Mowafaq Mostafa, director at the FCSN.

He added that the Challenge would be organised once in every two years, thus allowing participants time to enhance their abilities.

“Partaking in the various competitions can also help pupils learn a lot, which is why we have selected these for the Challenge. For example, when weaving a basket, motor skills and concentration are enhanced. Pupils also learn to plan ahead, and can even use the skill to earn a livelihood,” Dr Mostafa said.

Walid Al Hammadi was another enthusiastic contributor to the Skills Challenge. The 18-year-old Emirati, who suffers from a mental disability and is enrolled at the Zayed Higher Organisation, spent two hours carving a majestic falcon on to a block of wood.

“Give me any painting, and I can represent it on wood. I also enjoy weight lifting and body building in my spare time,” he said with a smile.

Judges at the Challenge testified to the excellence of the submissions, and said it was very difficult to select winners in the various categories.

“All the works display so much patience and talent,” said Jathal Al Hindawi, wife of the Jordanian Ambassador to the UAE.

At the end of the Challenge, winners in each category were presented with trophies to recognise their achievements.