(MENAFN- Emirates News Agency (WAM))
SHARJAH, 27th May, 2017 (WAM) -- Kalimat Foundation for Children's Empowerment, KF, a Sharjah-based non-profit children's organisation, has donated 150 audio, braille and large print books to visually impaired students at the Abdullah Ibn Umm Maktum School in the Jordanian capital, Amman.
The gesture was in line with KF's vision to promote the role of children with special needs as a part of the 'Year of Giving 2017' initiative, started by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The books were distributed during KF's visit to the school, which coincided with the visit by Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and Chairperson of KF, to the Emirati-Jordanian refugee camp in Marjeeb Al Fahood, Al Zarqa.
The project is aimed at getting a closer view of children's abilities and their need for learning materials and sources of knowledge. The move comes as part of KF's efforts to strengthen its channels of communication with all relevant bodies in the Arab countries.
The visit is also among the means adopted by the Foundation to implement the "Ara See" initiative it launched during its participation in the ninth edition of the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival. It sought to promote awareness about children who are visually impaired and to encourage community segments to support their education pursuits.
Amna Al Mazmi, Manager of KF, met Abdul Monem Al Duwairi, Principal of the school, and a number of the teaching and administrative staff. She discussed possible avenues of co-operation to realise the Foundation's goal of advancing knowledge and enhancing their educational performance.
Al Mazmi toured the school's various sections, where she met a number of students. She was able to gain a deeper insight into their lifestyles and to learn about assistive-technology devices used to facilitate their learning process and help in their daily lives. She also familiarised herself with the sources of knowledge available at the school, such as audio and braille books.
"KF's initiative to distribute books to children with visual impairment aligns with the goals of Sheikha Bodour to support children's rights to access books and to benefit from the knowledge they acquire to serve their communities and nations in the future.
"Children with special needs face difficulties in obtaining the necessary books in braille, due to a lack of Arabic content and also due to high prices. This is why we undertook the initiative of providing this collection of books to the Abdullah Ibn Umm Maktoum School for the Visually Impaired. It aims to meet students' needs for braille books and to enrich the school's library that serves generations of pupils," Al Mazmi added.
Principal Al Duwairi said, "Our school provides care and education for students with visual impairment from grades 1-12, where we offer all the academic and rehabilitative services they need. We look forward to upgrading the school's library with a range of braille books, stories and novels."
WAM/Hazem/Muzamil
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