10 June 2010
KUWAIT: The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) launched the Early Learning and Disability Challenges project (ELDC) yesterday at its headquarters in Mishref. This project is part of the United Nations Millennium Development Goal (MDG). Strengthening universal primary education, the (ELDC) was initiated by UNDP as one if its projects that fall under the Country Program (2009-2013).
It is the technical cooperation program undertaken between the government of Kuwait [represented by the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development (SCPD) ] and the UNDP. The project aims to address deficiencies in the area of disabilities and early childhood learning. This is to promote inclusion of individuals with disabilities in Kuwait.
It also aims to raise awareness and the UNDP's profile and its collaborative work. This is will be carried out with the SCPD in the field of early learning and disability in Kuwait. This will create an impact and visibility in the disability and early learning challenges scene in Kuwait.
The UNDP launched the project by inviting governmental and non-governmental organizations working in the field of early learning and disabilities challenges to officially commence the project activities and shed light on the project and its various components in order to maximize the required benefit.
The ELDC project is a continuing project that witnessed great successes and achievements over the last six years, notably in the field of early learning challenges by providing technical assistance and support to a number of Kuwait-based NGOs such as the Center for Child Evaluation and Teaching(CCET), Kuwait Dyslexia Association(KDA) and Kuwait Autism Society(KAS).
The state of Kuwait plays a significant and leading role among Arab countries in terms of awareness, advocacy and recognition of early learning challenges, disability and inclusion. "In 1996, a 'disability law' was passed which paved the way for the creation of "The Higher Council for the Disabled Affairs (HCDA) which currently has in excess of 33,000 registered persons with disabilities in Kuwait on their official books who benefit from a diverse range of services that guarantee their inclusion as well as positive contribution to the Kuwaiti society," said Dr Adam Abdul Mawla, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Permanent Representative.
Earlier in February this year, this law has been replaced with a more comprehensive Law No. 8/2010 which has also called for the creation of a bigger organization: The Public Authority for Persons with Disabilities to safeguard the inclusion of persons with disabilities in Kuwait to benefit from their many positive contributions and to empower and enable them to achieve their full potentials," he added.
According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, there are currently around 10 million Arab children who have no access to schooling. At least, nine percent of the world's illiterate youth are in Arab countries (among 15 to 24 year olds). "If we consider the fact that the Arab region has entered the twenty first century burdened with over 70 million illiterates out of a population of 306 million, and that there are approximately 10 million out-of-school children who will, in no time at all, swell the ranks of the illiterate in the region, we know we are talking about a catastrophe," explained Abdul Mawla.
No wonder, the decade we live in has been coined the decade of literacy by the UNESCO. The second Millennium Development Goal has been devoted to raise the level of universal primary education. The UN has placed so much emphasis on including people with disabilities that there is a convention on the rights of persons with disabilities which the government of Kuwait has recently indicated its intention to ratify," he further said.
Early learning challenges and specific learning disabilities, if unidentified and un-remediated, is a major obstacle to literacy. "Individuals with learning challenges need empowerment to overcome the many challenges associated with this condition. The Early Learning Challenges and Disability project aims to address this important issue by empowering existing governmental and non-governmental organizations working in the field of early learning and disability challenges. Both transfer of knowledge and building national institutional capacity will be the main two factors that this project depends on to cement Kuwait's leading role in the Gulf and Arab region in order to pave the way for future cross fertilization to other sister countries in the region," highlighted Abdul Mawla.
The ELDC Project has been ongoing for some eight years now, and has managed to create a strong impact on the inclusion and disabilities scene in Kuwait. "A number of local organizations have so far managed to achieve great strides in their work due to the support and technical assistance received from UNDP Kuwait. Technical expertise in the field of awareness, test development, test standardization, training and specific curriculum development has been facilitated and been made possible because of the UNDP Kuwait backing," he noted.
The first survey study of its kind in the Arab World to document and quantify the prevalence of dyslexia (a specific reading disorder) was carried out here in Kuwait in 2002 because of UNDP backing. The first Arabic localized computer-based screening tool to identify Kuwaiti children at risk of Dyslexia has also been made possible due to UNDP backing. The first interactive documentary film about learning disabilities (I Learn in a Different Way) has also been made possible because of UNDP expertise," concluded Abdul Mawla.
Sahar Al-Shawa, Program Analyst, UNDP Kuwait has been working on this project over the last five years. "I am a great believer in the benefit involved of such programs to the people of Kuwait, particularly those suffering from learning challenges and disabilities. Over the last five years, I witnessed some great achievements of the ELDC project. Most notably, achievements were made in the field of awareness, assessment, identification, intervention and training," she stated.
UNDP Kuwait facilitated the process of building capacity by organizing a 'Train the Trainers' workshop series in association with the Centre for Child Evaluation and Teaching in 2007 which trained around 350 teachers from different backgrounds. "During the last few years, I also discussed project proposals with Al-Kharafi Kids Activities Center, Kuwait Association for the Handicapped, Kuwait Association for Parents of the Disabled and Kuwait Autism Society(KAS)," added Al-Shawa.
Dr Jad Al-Bahiri, Technical Manager of the Project spoke about the basic contents of the project. "The ultimate aim of the program is: To remove barriers that hamper individuals with disabilities in Kuwait, empower persons with disabilities and to achieve their full potential, and enable them to fully contribute to the society in which they form a part. This program, therefore, compliments the efforts of the government of Kuwait to include persons with disabilities in line with its international commitments and obligations specified in the United Nations' International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities," he pointed out.
KUWAIT: The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) launched the Early Learning and Disability Challenges project (ELDC) yesterday at its headquarters in Mishref. This project is part of the United Nations Millennium Development Goal (MDG). Strengthening universal primary education, the (ELDC) was initiated by UNDP as one if its projects that fall under the Country Program (2009-2013).
It is the technical cooperation program undertaken between the government of Kuwait [represented by the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development (SCPD) ] and the UNDP. The project aims to address deficiencies in the area of disabilities and early childhood learning. This is to promote inclusion of individuals with disabilities in Kuwait.
It also aims to raise awareness and the UNDP's profile and its collaborative work. This is will be carried out with the SCPD in the field of early learning and disability in Kuwait. This will create an impact and visibility in the disability and early learning challenges scene in Kuwait.
The UNDP launched the project by inviting governmental and non-governmental organizations working in the field of early learning and disabilities challenges to officially commence the project activities and shed light on the project and its various components in order to maximize the required benefit.
The ELDC project is a continuing project that witnessed great successes and achievements over the last six years, notably in the field of early learning challenges by providing technical assistance and support to a number of Kuwait-based NGOs such as the Center for Child Evaluation and Teaching(CCET), Kuwait Dyslexia Association(KDA) and Kuwait Autism Society(KAS).
The state of Kuwait plays a significant and leading role among Arab countries in terms of awareness, advocacy and recognition of early learning challenges, disability and inclusion. "In 1996, a 'disability law' was passed which paved the way for the creation of "The Higher Council for the Disabled Affairs (HCDA) which currently has in excess of 33,000 registered persons with disabilities in Kuwait on their official books who benefit from a diverse range of services that guarantee their inclusion as well as positive contribution to the Kuwaiti society," said Dr Adam Abdul Mawla, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Permanent Representative.
Earlier in February this year, this law has been replaced with a more comprehensive Law No. 8/2010 which has also called for the creation of a bigger organization: The Public Authority for Persons with Disabilities to safeguard the inclusion of persons with disabilities in Kuwait to benefit from their many positive contributions and to empower and enable them to achieve their full potentials," he added.
According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, there are currently around 10 million Arab children who have no access to schooling. At least, nine percent of the world's illiterate youth are in Arab countries (among 15 to 24 year olds). "If we consider the fact that the Arab region has entered the twenty first century burdened with over 70 million illiterates out of a population of 306 million, and that there are approximately 10 million out-of-school children who will, in no time at all, swell the ranks of the illiterate in the region, we know we are talking about a catastrophe," explained Abdul Mawla.
No wonder, the decade we live in has been coined the decade of literacy by the UNESCO. The second Millennium Development Goal has been devoted to raise the level of universal primary education. The UN has placed so much emphasis on including people with disabilities that there is a convention on the rights of persons with disabilities which the government of Kuwait has recently indicated its intention to ratify," he further said.
Early learning challenges and specific learning disabilities, if unidentified and un-remediated, is a major obstacle to literacy. "Individuals with learning challenges need empowerment to overcome the many challenges associated with this condition. The Early Learning Challenges and Disability project aims to address this important issue by empowering existing governmental and non-governmental organizations working in the field of early learning and disability challenges. Both transfer of knowledge and building national institutional capacity will be the main two factors that this project depends on to cement Kuwait's leading role in the Gulf and Arab region in order to pave the way for future cross fertilization to other sister countries in the region," highlighted Abdul Mawla.
The ELDC Project has been ongoing for some eight years now, and has managed to create a strong impact on the inclusion and disabilities scene in Kuwait. "A number of local organizations have so far managed to achieve great strides in their work due to the support and technical assistance received from UNDP Kuwait. Technical expertise in the field of awareness, test development, test standardization, training and specific curriculum development has been facilitated and been made possible because of the UNDP Kuwait backing," he noted.
The first survey study of its kind in the Arab World to document and quantify the prevalence of dyslexia (a specific reading disorder) was carried out here in Kuwait in 2002 because of UNDP backing. The first Arabic localized computer-based screening tool to identify Kuwaiti children at risk of Dyslexia has also been made possible due to UNDP backing. The first interactive documentary film about learning disabilities (I Learn in a Different Way) has also been made possible because of UNDP expertise," concluded Abdul Mawla.
Sahar Al-Shawa, Program Analyst, UNDP Kuwait has been working on this project over the last five years. "I am a great believer in the benefit involved of such programs to the people of Kuwait, particularly those suffering from learning challenges and disabilities. Over the last five years, I witnessed some great achievements of the ELDC project. Most notably, achievements were made in the field of awareness, assessment, identification, intervention and training," she stated.
UNDP Kuwait facilitated the process of building capacity by organizing a 'Train the Trainers' workshop series in association with the Centre for Child Evaluation and Teaching in 2007 which trained around 350 teachers from different backgrounds. "During the last few years, I also discussed project proposals with Al-Kharafi Kids Activities Center, Kuwait Association for the Handicapped, Kuwait Association for Parents of the Disabled and Kuwait Autism Society(KAS)," added Al-Shawa.
Dr Jad Al-Bahiri, Technical Manager of the Project spoke about the basic contents of the project. "The ultimate aim of the program is: To remove barriers that hamper individuals with disabilities in Kuwait, empower persons with disabilities and to achieve their full potential, and enable them to fully contribute to the society in which they form a part. This program, therefore, compliments the efforts of the government of Kuwait to include persons with disabilities in line with its international commitments and obligations specified in the United Nations' International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities," he pointed out.
By Nawara Fattahova
© Kuwait Times 2010
