I. Historical background:
Thoroughly convinced by the existence of people with challenges’ abilities and totally committed to their right to education and empowerment through methods and strategies tailored to their mental and sensory capacities, the Social Welfare Institutions set up the Complex for the development of human capacities in 1975 at Dawhat al Choueifat. Further to its destruction by the 1982 Israeli invasion, the structure was rebuilt in 1413 of the Hegira (1992 AD) in Aramoun. In the meantime, the Complex was successively lodged in the Dar al Saada and Al Zaher premisses.
People in a situation of social difficulty.
IV. Proposed services:
Ø Boarding care intended to people living in faraway regions or suffering from serious social and family difficulties. The services provided: education, empowerment; sanitary, medical, preventive and rehabilitation treatments, family support and counselling, natural abilities development, associated activities, lodging and feeding; provision of writing, reading and clothing material, etc.
Ø Day care destined to neighbouring people, provides the following care services: teaching, empowerment, sanitary, medical and rehabilitation treatments, family support and counselling, natural abilities development, associated activities, food, transport to and fro the Complex via public and private transportation.
Ø Family care concerns children under three-years old suffering from disabilities and their families, through the program of early intervention, as well as a program specially dedicated to widows and neighbouring families. Furthermore, this care includes neighbouring children of all ages in order to enhance and boost the Institutions’ mission within the region throughout special advice and counselling programs and sanitary and social services.
V. The complex institutions:
Ø Moassassat Al Hoda for the visually impaired:
When it was funded in 1975, this institution was limited to two day-care classes. Over time, the number of classes increased to accomodate the rising number of beneficiaries. But a inter boarding care was soon set up in 1978 to respond to the geographical distance of a number of beneficiaries. After the 1982 Israeli invasion and consecutive destruction of the building, the institution was lodged during two years and a half in the Al Motqan premisses. Further to the civil war bombardments, the institution moved again in 1984 to the main headquarters of Dar al Saadah. Starting on 1987 and during five years, the institution was lodged in the Al Zaher building. Once its headquarters rebuilt, the institution returned to it and pursued its mission with the visually impaired. Since 1984, the institution has been implementing the comprehensive integration program regarding the beneficiaries who have completed the elementary cycle, and integrated them into Omar Faroukh high school. The cooperation work with the professional institutions was launched in 1990 further to an increase of the integrated beneficiaries, and the integration and support process started in 2004 under the direction of Moassassat Al Hoda. In 1997, further to the opening of the reverse integration program to the neighbouring population, the institution opened its doors to people afflicted with physiological troubles and hearing impairments. Since then, and due to the accomodation of beneficiaries rejected from schools, the number of people with learning difficulties has risen within the institution which presently accomodates 110 beneficiaries distributed over the 10 first schooling grades.
Ø Moassassat Al Bayan for the people with hearing troubles:
Since its foundation in 1975, this institution is a member of the Arab Federation of Hearing Impaired Care Institutions. It takes an active part in the Federation’s activities such as the organisation in 1995 of the «Communication adapted to hearing disabled» conference, the first Arab encounter for hearing impaired in 1998, the second Arab encounter for hearing impaired and the conference for the promotion of a unique Arab dictionary in sign language in 2003.
In 2005, the institution started implementing the integrative program for its graduates who integrated external superior studies establishments. In 2007, it introduced a program for the empowerment of people who had benefited from a cornea transplant, and opened its doors to people with physiological and learning difficulties and, in 2012, to people with difficult social conditions. At the present, Moassassat Al Bayan accomodates 160 beneficiaries distributed over 15 schooling grades.
Ø Moassassat Al Tarbiya Al Khassa for people suffering from physiological impairments:
Since its start in 1980, this institution has offered internal and semi-internal care services. It was the first to create and implement the reverse integration program for neighbouring children and disadvantaged social background people in 1993, with a view to offering a free high quality education. In 1998, it successfully integrated hearing-impaired children.
In 1999, it welcomed 3 to 9 years old children as part of the early intervention program. More beneficiaries were able to join this program when the national education inaugurated specialised classes and the sector expanded to more difficult cases.
In 2000, it chose the non-systemic education program and created special grades for the capacities development and literacy scheme. In 2001, new assessment methods were implemented with the increasing number of people suffering from cerebral palsy. In 2004, the national education started enforcing the learning disabled people’s rights. In 2005, the blind were admitted into the nurseries. In 2009, the nurseries hosting children with difficulties were integrated into the classes of private education establishments and comprise today 160 beneficiaries allocated over the 15 schooling grades.
Ø Nursery for children with multiple handicaps:
To confront the increase of the people concerned with the early intervention program and the number of the over three-years old children concerned, in 1999, the nursery started implementing the early intervention program and opened two classes to accomodate children between three an nine-years old, with a view to promote their rights to integration alongside same age children with no difficulties. Over time the centre accommodated more difficult cases and the National education inaugurated special classes for the nursery beneficiaries. In 2009 the nursery became administratively part of the private education system.
Ø Al Dawha Al Mihaniya professional training centre:
Since its creation in 1974, the centre has been providing vocational empowerment programs to hearing and visually impaired people in the following fields: carpentry, straw crafts, tapestry. Following the centre destruction during the 1982 Israeli invasion, its activities were interrupted until its reconstruction in 1993, the date on which the straw crafts workshop resumed. The cosmetic care for women and carpentry workshop started in 1997, whereas leatherwork, weaving and artisanal jewelery began in 1998 and cosmetic care for men in 1999.
From 2002 to 2003, and further to the general direction decision to boost the professional centres, the centre requested from the company «Technics» to supply the training of the centre team members and draw up the programs on a scientific basis. It also equipped the workshops with up-to-date facilities and tools and launched the following workshops: computerised printing, shoemaking, arts and crafts. Al Dawha al Mihaniya accomodates today 120 beneficiaries allocated in ten workshops and one classroom.
· Empowerment and professional training programs:
ü Reverse integration and other special programs equiped with the most advanced means and techniques and consistent with the academic, vocational, theoretical and practical standards.
ü Training and empowerment of the beneficiary with an aim to acquiring necessary qualifications and abilities to absorb the professional or hand-crafted capacities required by the labour market and consistent with his/her natural mental and physiological predispositions.
ü The training is based on a time period of 2 to 4 years.
ü At the end of the training, the beneficiary acquires a special or professional certification issued by the Directorate of the professional education.
ü The ten following workshops: straw craft, weaving and embroidery, artisanal jewelery, manual and handcrafted works, leatherwork, shoemaking, cosmetic care for women and men, printing, computer input, as well as the workshops of the establishements of social development. At the end of the training, the beneficiary obtains a primary or complementary vocational certification.
ü Al Dawha Al Mihaniya implements the industrial investigation program aiming at the following benefits for the beneficiary:
- Acquisition of professional abilities
- Transfer from the workshop to the office
- Initiation to the socio-professional environment
- Information about the professional procedures and work legislation
- Information of the business managers about the people with disabilities competences by way of ground visits, workshop professional interventions and field apprenticeship
ü Such programs are implemented by the manager and the experienced and specialised in craftmanship and professional fields trainers.
Ø Boarding care
This service accomodates the children suffering from sensory, motor, learning disabilities and with light mental retardation. It is divided into six departments according to sex and specific disabilities and can receive up to 280 beneficiaries allocated into 55 bedrooms.
Awareness division:
From its start in 1993, this division organises awareness-rising campains throughout the Lebanese territory for families of children with disabilities and difficult social conditions about the urgency to proceed to the children empowerment by enrolling them into specialised care centres. It assesses the social needs of the neighbouring environment and evaluates the number of concerned families. The division also finalises the registration and graduation or end of treament formalities and manages family visits and meetings, investigates individual situations, manages delays and outstanding invoices, ensures the communication (benefactors, voluntary and guarantors brochures) as well as relationships with neighbours and specialised institutions. The division also takes care of all procedures and correspondance with public and private partners. In 2003, it prepared a comprehensive review of the social situation and, in 2004, took upon itself to implement all these missions as well as the early intervention program.
Awareness division implemented programs:
Early intervention:
This program was initiated in 1994 following the training cycle of the family instructors organised by the Arab Council for Childhood in collaboration with the Social Welfare Institutions in order to manage consistent visits with the families. Thereupon, a service of nursery care was founded in 1999 for children with multiple disabilities. Starting from 2006, the program has been implemented in all nursery and preschool grades with children younger than nine years old after assessing the weak spots and the individuals who can benefit from the abilities development program. Following the amendment of the child profile exam and of the fixed objectives according to the child’s capacities and difficulties, this program started in 2007 the empowerment care for blind and for children who benefited from a corneal graft. After the inclusion of all the sector beneficiaries in 2001, the urgent need to work with the families contributed to the creation of a counselling and orientation program specially designed for this purpose.
Advice and awareness provided to the families:
The service started its mission with the early intervention program beneficiaries families in 2005 and has since enlarged its scope to all the sector beneficiaries families. The program was intended to repond to the emergency for permanent communication with the concerned families, to boost their pivotal role in protecting, educating and securing their child on the social, medical, psychological, educational, economical and environmental levels. Furthermore, it provides a sexual education program to all beneficiaries.
Medical care and support treatments:
Medical centre for prevention and medication
This centre dispenses preventive medical care, treatment and advice administered by the Institutions physician, the medical team and the socio-sanitary counsellor, and provides the following services:
ü First aid care subsequent to the following exams: general sanitary, dental, ophtalmological, oto-rhino-laryngological for all beneficiaries and brain assessment for people with neurological troubles.
ü Tuberculosis screening and vaccination to all internal beneficiaries and interested external beneficiaries.
ü Medical and therapeutical care covering all pathologies and health troubles for all internal beneficiaries, as well as required exams, medicine and necessary surgical procedures.
ü Complete food for all the beneficiaries on the basis of a monthly program of balanced and healthy diet established by the centre dietitians.
ü Encourage the beneficiaries to follow up healthy food and sanitary practices through workshops and awareness meetings.
ü Workshops and panel discussions organisation for the beneficiaries and their families on the sanitary, medical, therapeutical and social themes.
ü The centre activities are managed by a nurse.
ü The centre covers the following specialties: general medecine, oto-rhino-laryngology, dentistry, ophtalmology as well as special care provided by volunteer physicians in their offices.
Speech therapy centre:
Since its opening in 1995, this centre has provided care services to hearing-impaired or people with hearing difficulties and quickly enhanced its services to include a larger scope of beneficiaries suffering from cerebral palsy and learning difficulties. In 2000, it assimilated the assessment procedures and further developed them in 2009.
Physiological therapy centre:
After its creation in 1996, the centre started updating the specialised therapeutical professional section and the architectural environment according to the beneficiaries needs. It collaborated also to various research programs regarding the therapy and empowerment centres and provided counselling about potential corporal damages for the beneficiaries.
Functional therapy centre:
The centre was founded in 2004. It set up a special exercising program for sensory, self-reliance and small and large capacities mobility. In 2006, it actively collaborated in bringing up the exams to the standards and, in 2012, upgraded the existing investigation procedures. It has also participated in the modernisation of qualification listing, architectural activities and environmental requirements, as well as the implementation of adequate sitting posture prescriptions and requirements.
Psychological treatment centre:
Upon its opening in 2004, the centre has assessed the situation and established adequate therapy strategies. In 2007, it implemented a number of processes regarding behaviour improvement and orientation guidance and, in 2011, devised a system of data collection.
VI. Enforced programs:
· Reverse integration program:
ü The Complex is committed to the reverse integration program which gathers all kinds of disabled people with non-disabled, on the basis of the children’s rights to an educational environment ensuring equal rights and breaking out their isolation, including them in schooling establishments and into the community, to help them move forward and interact with other children.
ü The integration process is based on the assessment of diversities, individual mental and intellectual abilities, to ease and harmonise the differences between the same classe beneficiaries. The deaf children are submitted to a special strategy.
· Integration and support program:
ü This program aims at integrating people afflicted with sensory, motor and learning disabilities within high schools and higher and university education establishments, to pursue their academic or vocational studies, obtain diplomas enabling them to integrate into the community and participate in its development in accordance with the principles of self-realisation and equal opportunities.
ü Monitor and collaborate with the integrative learning establishments directions.
ü Provide the beneficiaries with all the necessary means to achieve their goals.
ü Provide them with advice and support sessions.
ü Provide them with support attendants during the exams.
ü Cover the transport charges to and from the education establishements.
ü Provide audiobooks, Braille dispays and speaking computers training.
ü Train the integrative centres monitors about the required interactive, communication and assessment methods.
ü Organise activities to enhance information and communication between the integrative learning centres.
ü Ensure permanent presence of a sign language translator in the integrative classes for deaf beneficiaries.
ü Implement the required communication process between the trainers, the support teams ans the supervisors.
ü Enforce specialised programs to encourage highschool students to integrate the Institutions with a view to develop their capacities and upgrade their qualifications in order to find a job through Al Mu’een Centre.
ü This program is implemented by the professional training centre coaches.
ü It takes place during six to eight weeks between April and June.
Ø Youth day clubs:
· Environment club: founded in 2004, aims at instilling respect of the environment in the beneficiaries, motivating their creativity and sense of initiative in this respect, communicating with other environmental clubs and associations, strengthening the inter-regional participation into activities aspiring to a safe management of the environment.
Provided programs
· Specialised training in the education and empowerment of people with challenges provided to the Center workers and the beneficiaries’ families
· Participation in conferences and meetings
· Training centre for university students and professionals who wish to achieve a traineeship in the Centre
· Participation of the Centre working teams in external training sessions and workshops
· Active or passive participation in national, regional and international meetings
Ø Educational, cultural, recreational and sports benefits
The Centre is keen on providing equal opportunities to allow all the beneficiaries to develop the fundamental abilities for reading and writing through Arabic language (reading, grammar, dictation and writing), mathematics, sciences, geography, citizenship and religious education teaching courses.
Up to date instructive procedures are implemented in order to enhance the understanding, physical, motor and social skills of the beneficiaries through the following programs:
1. Academic and regulatory program consistent with the official Ministry of national and higher education program (elementary and complementary levels), in accordance with the beneficiaries’ abilities and needs and associated to field activities and visits in order to motivate them.
2. Literacy program destined to the beneficiaries with poor education level or who were out of school before joining the Centre at an advanced age. This programs provides reading and writing basics according to the Ministry of social affairs books and programs.
3. Cultural, recreational, empowering and sports services.