General News
Indian Consulate Launches Initiative for Special Needs People
The Consulate-General of India in Dubai launched a community initiative on Friday to support and empower people with special needs and their families to include them into mainstream society. Named SAATHI (Society for Advocacy and Awareness Towards Holistic Inclusion), the support group was inaugurated by Director-General of Community Development Authority under the Government of Dubai, Dr Maryam Matar, and Consul-General of India Venu Rajamony.
The members of SAATHI, which means โcompanionโ in Hindi, are people with disability, parents of children with disability, professionals working in the field of disability and volunteers who want to make a difference to the lives of people with special needs.
The group aims to facilitate inclusion of individuals of all ages and special needs in society and their empowerment by providing information, training, mentoring, counselling, respite care and a forum to network.
It also plans to act as an advocacy group to highlight needs of special needs families, and make the society aware of the rights of people with disabilities.
โSAATHI will provide a much- needed service to the community by collaborating with local authorities in promoting interests of persons with special needs, giving opportunities to persons with special needs to voice their opinion, showcase their special talents and potential and providing a common platform for all groups and individuals working in the field of disability to network for the benefit of the whole community,โ said Dr Saroj Thapa, president of Indian Ladies Association, who is spearheading the group.
The programme also saw the launch of the SAATHI website http://www.saathidubai.org
