Talented special needs children were yesterday given a boost when the Ebdaat 2004, an international award for children's paintings, handed out its awards.
In a glittering ceremony held at the Burj Al Arab Hotel, 16 handicapped children were honoured.
The ceremony was held under the patronage of Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, daughter of General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister, and organised by the Rashid Paediatric Therapy Centre. An exhibition of the participants' paintings was also held as part of the event.
Sheikh Juma bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, managing director of the centre, handed out the awards to the winners who came from 11 Arab countries.
In her speech Sheikha Manal praised the young participants for their fine arts. "People with special needs should not be ignored because they have a huge reserve of talent that can be implemented in the manner which would serve the community.
"The drawings are part of people's culture and the winning works are a testimony to the development of the fine art movement in the Arab World. I would like to see artists who can develop their own identity in this regard," she said.
The winners came from Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudia Arabia, Qatar Sudan, Jordan and Syria. Their ages ranged from six years to 16. Each category was classified according to the type of handicap for example deafness or blindness.
Explaining the success of Ebdaat over the years, Mariam Othman, director of the Rashid Paediatric and Therapy Centre, said: "We have to offer them the venue to develop their talents. We consider their participation as letters of appreciation sent to us.
"The centre is a humanitarian organisation which provides high quality services to children with special needs.
"Inaugurated in 1994, it aims to ensure international standards of excellence in education and therapy are maintained at every level, said Mariam. The centre is unique in that it provides a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to special education. Each child receives a programme specially designed to meet his or her individual needs".
On offer are: early learning classes, rehabilitation for children with moderate learning difficulties and motor planning problems, children with mild mental retardation and development delay, pre-vocational training for girls, physio and occupational therapy, and speech and language therapy.
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