Ministry receives students of determination

Jamil Khan, Senior Reporter

The People of Determination Centres of the Ministry of Community Development received students in the new academic year titled “Welcome back” with a number of interactive activities and attended by parents, teaching and administration staff of the centers.

Hessa Bint Essa Buhumaid, Minister of Community Development shared with the students of Dubai Welfare & Rehabilitation Centre for People of Determination their back to school joy. Organised yesterday morning, the new academic year 2019/2020 ceremony was attended by officials from the Ministry, teaching and administration staff, parents and students. Dubai Police, Dubai Civil Defence and Red Crescent in Dubai also took part in the event. The Assistant Undersecretaries also attended the new academic year ceremony of the centres in different emirates.

Hessa Bint Essa Buhumaid was very keen to share the students’ joy, interests and desires at the celebration, and escort them in the activities of the event. She also noted the importance of the joint efforts of all community entities and members in providing support to the education and inclusion of people of determination and enrich their knowledge, educational, behavioural and social skills to provide the best possible future for them. Such actions implement the directives of the UAE wise leadership and instructions of the Ministry to promote the inclusion of these categories and achieve their vision, aspirations and ambitions in the future. At the same time, they apply what the National Policy for Empowering People of Determination has stated in its goals and pillars concerning education, vocational rehabilitation and social protection.

The UAE Minister for Community Development interacted with the people of determination students during the new academic year ceremony which began by the flag salute accompanied by a police band, opening the exhibition “Make your Future”, and enabling the people of determination students to take a ride in Dubai Police luxury cars.

The Ministry of Community Development considers that celebrating the return of students to schools is a necessary duty for all of us; schools promote personal challenges, enhance confidence and will among the students of determination. They always actively seek participation in any societal activity; this step supports their ambitions towards more rehabilitation and education. The centres are also keen to involve different institutions and entities in all events aimed at introducing happiness and pleasure in the students of determination. The back to school activities included the distribution of badges for administration, teaching and support staff, portrait frames for all the students, the firefighter character show, interactive workshops for students of determination and the participation of cartoon characters.

Recently, a joint cooperation was established between the Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination (ZHO) and the Muslims Council of Elders to raise awareness among people of determination over the Human Fraternity Document, which was translated into Arabic and English Braille to serve the visually-impaired, and also converted into sign language-recorded texts in cooperation with the UAE Deaf Association, according to WAM.

The ZHO People of Determination sought to translate the document into Arabic and English Braille and print 100 copies to spread the document’s mission, which includes calling for tolerance, cooperation and co-existence among all segments of society, including People of Determination (persons with disabilities).

In this context, the hearing-impaired people of determination completed the translation of 17 key missions of the Human Fraternity Document into the adopted, Arabic sign language, in cooperation with the UAE Deaf Association members, thus aiming to raise awareness over the importance of the translation of the document into the English sign language, and other global languages.

Videos have been posted on various social media platforms to kick-start the activation of the awareness initiative, and ensure the dissemination of the document’s objectives among various segments of the society inside and outside the UAE in different international languages.