Princess Muna inaugurates new headquarters for FFSPD

By Rand Dalgamouni

AMMAN - Members of the Families and Friends Society of Persons with Disabilities (FFSPD) on Wednesday celebrated the opening of their new headquarters, which they hope will allow them to serve a greater number of people.

HRH Princess Muna, the society's honorary president, inaugurated the new venue along with Their Royal Highnesses Prince Raad and Princess Majda Raad.

FFSPD founder and chairperson, Rima Ayoub Zureikat said one of the main challenges the society had faced since its founding 16 years ago was its small venue, adding that the new headquarters will allow them to serve a greater number of persons with disabilities (PWD) and their families.

She explained that FFSPD provides a variety of training, empowerment and social integration programs for PWD.

"We take those with multiple disabilities who come from areas where they have been previously isolated and ignored. Our motto is 'Tell me and I won't, show me and I might, involve me and I will'," she told The Jordan Times in a recent interview.

"Our children are able, but in their own way," she added, noting that the society also provides help to mothers of children with disabilities.

"We train mothers on the best way to deal with their disabled children. They regain their confidence and overcome the social stigma that they may face," Zureikat explained.

She pointed out that the FFSPD is one of the first societies in Jordan to apply the Portage Program, which is a home-based educational, early interventional and diagnostic program for children from birth to nine years of age.

Under the program, a home visitor comes weekly to train the mother on how to best care for her child with mental, physical, or multiple disabilities.

"Some of the mothers we train become home visitors themselves, since their experience gives them the empathy to help mothers of other children with disabilities," Zureikat noted.

A two-year program prepares children aged between six and nine with mild to moderate mental disabilities, who have been previously home-serviced, for integration into schools within their local communities.

Zureikat explained that the FFSPD works with 30 children in their homes and 32 at the society's facilities, in addition to 40 older PWD aged between 16 and 40.

Employing a staff of 25, the society engages PWD in activities that range from cooking and sewing to summer camps, computer skills courses and horseback riding.

Zureikat said she is hoping to build another floor to accommodate more children and separate them by age.

She also hopes the society will be able to overcome the challenge of helping older PWD to join the labor market.

25 November 2010

Source: The Jordan Times.
Link: http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=32075.