Programs

  • Saudi Arabia: Special education demands special attention

    JEDDAH: With the Kingdom home to a large population of children with mild to serious disabilities, providing means of education for such children on the national level has remained a major concern for some time.

    There are an estimated 125,000 disabled children in Jeddah alone, of whom around 4,000 are studying. The education provided by centers that specialize in helping children with special needs is unsatisfactory, primarily due to a lack of professionals.

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  • Uzma Raheem – A Beacon of Hope for Children with Exceptional Needs

    In this blog post, I am particularly proud to be able to introduce you to a lady who has, and continues to inspire me and countless others. Her non-stop positive attitude is infectious and the sheer energy, determination, drive and passion she draws upon and imparts to those around her makes me wonder whether she might just be super-human. Uzma Raheem is a force of nature, and a shining source of support and hope to many families here in Jeddah. Jeddah Blog writer Anousha Vakani sat down with Uzma earlier this month to chat with her about the inception and growth of the Hope Center, its success stories and the challenges she faces.

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    A Beacon of Hope for Children with Exceptional Needs

    In this blog post, I am particularly proud to be able to introduce you to a lady who has, and continues to inspire me and countless others. Her non-stop positive attitude is infectious and the sheer energy, determination, drive and passion she draws upon and imparts to those around her makes me wonder whether she might just be super-human. Uzma Raheem is a force of nature, and a shining source of support and hope to many families here in Jeddah. Jeddah Blog writer Anousha Vakani sat down with Uzma earlier this month to chat with her about the inception and growth of the Hope Center, its success stories and the challenges she faces.

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  • Hope Center a ray of hope for children with special needs in Jeddah

    Hope is a center for children with special needs, founded by Uzma Raheem that provides a nourishing environment for them to develop their skills and learn, regardless of their nationalities and backgrounds.
    Raheem established Hope 15 years ago when there was a limited number of centers dealing with special needs.
    “I was working at a center but not satisfied with their system and when I went to the authorities they turned down my suggestions. So I decided to establish my own center; I began working out of my home, taking over two rooms. At first, it was initially only a summer program, but afterward with the encouragement of my parents, I rented the apartment in front of our house and set to work,” said Raheem.

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    Finding solace in the company of disabled kids

    WHEN Uzma Raheem graduated in Turkey with a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, she had no idea that her destiny was to work with children with exceptional needs – her speciality was working with adult schizophrenics. She is from India but she came to Saudi Arabia as an infant with her parents and attended the International Indian School. “Saudi Arabia is home to me – I am not comfortable anywhere else.”

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