After only one year of opening, our sister organisation the Welfare Rights Centre for People with Disabilities has been officially recognised by the Council of Najaf to be the most active registered charity in the region.
Funded by Mr Shakiry the Chair and Founder of the Iraqi Charities Forum, the initiative set out to raise awareness and deliver aid to people with disabilities as well as the institutions that aim to support them. The aims and objectives of the centre are fully listed here. The services that we have provided range from supplying Hospital children wards with beds; campaigning for medical aid for children as well as making sure that students and employees are not discriminated against due to having a disability.
The Centre that was primarily established by a team of staff and volunteers led by Mr Haydar Al- Hassan, who having worked as a lawyer in the UK for around 20 years decided to use his experiences and expertise to help bring justice to Iraqis with disabilities. He was later joined by Mr Mahmoud Al Faihan whose equally extensive career in the media and PR, along with his deep concern for the plight of people with disabilities, has ensured that in just one year the Centre has paved the way for a successful initiative that really offers hope to Iraqis with disabilities, by Iraqis themselves.
Disability has burdened the lives of people of all ages and professions. The war has seen an increase in babies being born with disabilities, and many others are still being wounded in the fighting- if not already taken ill by disease or malnutrition. Mercy Corps spokesperson Tiana Tozer said "If you take into account that Iraq has been at war since 1977, the Iran-Iraq war, the American bombings, sanctions, all of which have contributed to more people becoming disabled, 2.7 million or 10 percent of the population is a conservative estimate." The Iraqi Ministry of Health has just 21 rehabilitation centres and 12 prosthetic labs, and it is unable to open more due to a lack of doctors and specialists. The government also says that only a quarter of amputees who are in need of artificial limbs have received them as a result of the unavailability of raw materials.
No statistics or quotes can really capture the nightmare of living with a disability in Iraq. The psychological trauma that these people are exposed to and the reality of the situation would warrant the emergence of 1000s of Centres like ours across the country, but the reality is that there are very few, and the Najaf Welfare Rights Centre of People with Disabilities is really one of the only ones.
Despite all the challenges and difficulties of working in Iraq, due to our ongoing success, we are confident that we can begin to build more and more such centres that cater for a range of needs for all types of people with disabilities: Entertainment services, delivery of aid and liaising with NGOs and Government officials are just a few things the centre is concerned with.
With your help, we can make sure that we excel further in changing social attitudes towards people with disabilities as well as providing these people in need with immediate solutions and a better future for them and their families.
Join us and stand up for people with Disabilities in Iraq!
Our centre has been applauded for its successful activities and good reputation. Although we believe and encourage working together with international NGOs, we also believe in a grass roots approach, where the local Iraqi people are the key to a better future for those with disabilities.
As with all ICF donations, we pay for the transfer and conversion fees so that all your money reaches those in need. Unlike most charities we have a 0% admin fee policy so that we can ensure the maximum benefit to those depending on us. Donate Now.
