Spreading light in children's lives

Asfa Ahmad is a 15-year-old girl, who is a fluent reader, strong athlete and an affectionate person. She has overcome obstacles and emerged a winner.

Asfa is a child with Down's syndrome who joined the Al Noor Training Centre for Children with Special Needs in 1996 at the age of six.

She was a quiet and shy child who gingerly stepped over the threshold of the school and into the Preparatory Unit.

When she joined the Preparatory Unit, she could only recognise a few letters of the alphabet and count from one to 15.

Today, she studies in the Advanced Learners' Unit. She learns spellings easily and has a high level of comprehension. She loves computers and can play many educational games on the.

Asfa is one of the many children with special needs who are progressing and getting a unique chance to face life with confidence at Al Noor Training Centre for Children with Special Needs.

Al Noor Centre opened its doors in Dubai in November 1981 starting with eight children.

"Currently, there are 220 children in the centre, located in Umm Suqeim," said Isphana Al Khatib, Director of the centre.

"We do not turn down any child, even with severe disabilities or behaviour problems. We have a different range of children in the centre," she added.

The centre accepts intellectually challenged boys and girls of all levels of ability and all nationalities, between the ages of three and 16.

Children on the waiting list who fulfil the admissions criteria have the option of attending afternoon classes held twice a week.

Intellectually challenged children below the age of three are admitted for the Early Intervention Programme, held twice a week in the afternoon.

Al Noor Centre provides treatment in various fields, as there are special departments to treat every child.

It is divided into many units, starting from the Nursery Unit admitting children between three and eight years.

The Preparatory Unit is for children between nine and 14.

There are separate Senior Girl's and Boy's Units for those aged 14 to 18.

The Advanced Learners' Unit admits educable children. Graded text books are used to teach English, mathematics and science.

The Special Care Unit takes in children with moderate to profound multiple disabilities.

The Work Placement Unit prepares young adults with the skills to transit from a school environment to the work environment.

The aim of the training programme at Al Noor is to help each child reach his or her maximum potential in all areas of development.

The training programme includes vocational training, which provides potential training in sewing, carpentry and screen-printing.

Islamic Studies and Arabic units prepare young students for life as practising Muslims and speaking Arabic.

Other training programmes involve self-awareness programmes, behaviour modification programmes, physical education, computer training, and arts and crafts.

On completion of their academic programmes to the optimum extent of their abilities, students over 16 undertake individual training programmes to further develop their practical skills.

The work placement coordinator sources the placements and once they are confirmed, gives hands-on training and support to the students.

"A lot of our supporters are five-star hotels because they have various departments," said Isphana.

"We have to match the students' skills with the work requirements. We work hand in hand with the placement and bring the students to the centre to check their condition.

"We have to make sure the environment is ready to receive these students," she added.

Many students worked in laundry departments, folding or putting clothes in the presser. Others worked in data entry in computers, filing, photocopying, and story telling.

"A young local is working in a clerical job. Two others work in schools. One reads stories to kindergarten students and the other works as a teacher's assistant."

Fundraising
A means of survival and hope

Al Noor Training Centre for Children with Special Needs is a non-profit organisation, run under the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, but not funded by it.

The programme offered is comprehensive, professional and meets the holistic needs of the students. Therefore, the staff to student ratio is high, and the cost of training each child annually is close to Dh23,000.

The annual set fee is only one-third of the cost incurred by the centre each year. Many families are unable to meet the subsidised fee amounts. Hence, fundraising is an on-going task.

"We do not want people to just give money, we want them to be aware and understand why they are doing it," said Isphana Al Khatib, Director of the centre.

Funds are raised through various activities including events organised by the centre, individual or corporate donations in cash or in kind, and sponsorship of an individual student's set fees.