Dubai: Marking the holy occasion of Eid Al Fitr, Sanad Village, the world’s largest rehabilitation center for people of determination hosted a special event for students which was conceptualized by global hearing technology firm, Starkey.
The initiative strived to further build and nurture the camaraderie between the students at the Sanad Village.
It takes a village to raise a child as they say, which means that an entire community of people must interact with children for those children to grow in a safe and healthy environment. Sanad Village has been doing a fabulous and a commendable job in supporting this special community of kids and we are honored to take part in the Eid festivities.
Mr. Giscard Bechara, Director of Starkey MEA FZCO remarked on the occasion.
Over the last several decades, Starkey has been supporting the people of determination, playing an integral role during the World Games Abu Dhabi 2019, where it conducted hearing health screenings for 7500 athletes as part of the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes program.
“The welfare and happiness of the children in Sanad Village is our utmost priority, and as we celebrate Eid Al Fitr this year, we are delighted to see global corporates like Starkey engaging with our community, The role of the private and public sector is very important in supporting the inclusion of people of determination within the larger community in all aspects of life, whether its education, sports, arts, or job opportunities,” Ms. Tasneem Abu Rouza, Chief Operations Officer at Sanad Village observed about the initiative.
SANAD VILLAGE
The largest center of its kind in the region, Sanad Village is dedicated to treating autism and helping children with autism and their families to integrate into society and transition towards independence.
The holistic, comprehensive and integrated approach towards those affected by ASD employed at the center provides viable pathways into society for individuals and a support system that focuses on the entire family. The 30,000 square meter facility includes a variety of amenities to build life skills within a safe space. There are simulated real life scenarios as well as creative spaces and areas dedicated to exercise and play.
Meanwhile, Starkey has been supporting people with hearing challenges in the UAE and has showcased the world’s first artificial intelligence (AI) embedded hearing aids at the AccessAbilities Expo in Dubai. This Expo aims to bring the world’s latest assistive technology products with the goal of enhancing the lives of 50+ million people with disabilities.
As per the World Health Organization, around 466 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss and 34 million of these are children.
“We are delighted to be part of this initiative with Sanad Village and to share our global expertise with kids in this really beautiful and inclusive community. I would also like to add that close to 16 million people suffer from various degrees of hearing loss in the Middle East region and this number is on the rise. People take their ear health for granted and go for treatments only when there is a serious hearing challenge. This condition should be given even more importance when it comes to people of determination so that they can be diagnosed earlier and help them with a better quality of life in all ways possible,” added Mr. Giscard.