Manzil

An inspiring story – Gulf News Dt. 28-03-2014

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An inspiring story.

I consider myself lucky to have visited the final day of the Abilities ME Exhibition and Conference, the first of its kind that offers support for the provision of education and awareness to people with special needs and disabilities. There were many interesting presentations and stalls. However, one young and vibrant person offering visitors an explanation about her stall caught my attention. She was Nilofar Saleem. A few years ago, I had met her when she was a student at Manzil, a centre for special needs in Sharjah. Then I met her at the same centre, when she became a staff member. Now, four years later, I was meeting her at this exhibition. I noticed several changes in her attitude. She was more confident and put on her trademark smile when I approached her. She is a person with global development delay (a person diagnosed with having a lower intellectual functioning than what is perceived as normal). Once she recognised me, she told me all about her new job and life. She now works with one of the leading banks in the UAE that has supported her to develop into a self sufficient young individual. It is an inspiring example of how an institution can groom an individual to become a breadwinner for a family and look ahead in life. How many organisations would be willing to support individuals like Saleem to find a firm footing in life?

From Mr Ramesh Menon Abu Dhabi

This entry was posted in Gulf News, Letters to the editor, Manzil, Mind Speaks, Opinion 2014.

A Unique Weight loss Fundraiser : Lose to GAIN by Manzil

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A Unique Weight loss Fundraiser : Lose to GAIN by Manzil

Manzil is launching a unique Weight loss Fundraiser. The concept is to “Lose 2 Gain” which will be a collective fundraiser, open to all who want to lose weight. Participants will enrol in the competition and will have their team of supporters who will back them up with donation pledges for kilo they lose. So instead of one winner and a bunch of losers, what is unique about this competition is that, regardless of who loses how much, everyone is helping to benefit the larger cause. While it may be a personal goal for many of the participants, the larger goal that will have them signing up and keep them motivated is the money they are raising for charity.
We would really appreciate your participation in any form & support this cause.
Please pass on the campaign details to your family & friends.

Campaign for Corporates:

Campaign for Public

Please pass on the campaign details to your family & friends.

This entry was posted in Community Service, Manzil.

KT Readerspeak – Is there a place today for reading and writing?

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KT Readerspeak – Is there a place today for reading and writing?

Welcome to the sixth edition of KT Readerspeak with a brand new topic for discussion to which our website readers, print loyalists and our Facebook community can contribute.

Just post your response below to the following question, write in to ktreaderspeak@khaleejtimes.ae or log on to www.facebook.com/khaleejtimes. This week’s question is:

Is there a place for reading and writing in today’s world?

My online comments as follows:

Volunteering and supporting remotely the 4th Used Book Fair organized by Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services I was able to send across a good collection of English, Arabic and French books for all ages to Manzil, a participating charity institution in the Fair.

With interest, I keenly followed up with the organizers each day the progress of this event.

The organizers did not end their efforts by merely setting up the stalls. SCHS had two interesting pavilions for children to showcase their reading and writing talent. One was specifically marked for children to draw a picture and write a short story on a specially designed paper. Each participating child was given a framed certificate enclosing their own creativity in it. It was really motivating small children to come and try their own skill at drawing and writing.

Another opportunity for children at the fair was a pavilion by SCHS to try and spell their names using Sign Language. A graphical representation was given to them and looking at it they could try and spell out their names. It was really a great experience as children, and even adults of all ages were made aware by this the value of speaking ability given to all of us.

The days of read aloud stories is dying slowly with the new age electronic generation which encourages short worded communication. However, events and activities such as these stand out and tells us that there exists a few special people who try their best to generate an opportunity for children to find a place in their life for reading and writing.

To read it online, please visit Khaleej Times Online.

This entry was posted in Clicks and writes, Community Service, Khaleej Times, Letters to the editor, Manzil, Opinion 2011, Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services.

Success of the Fourth Used Book Fair a “Treasure of Knowledge” – a motivational factor to encourage reading habit

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Success of the Fourth Used Book Fair a “Treasure of Knowledge” – a motivational factor to encourage reading habit

Success of the Fourth Used Book Fair a “Treasure of Knowledge” – a motivational factor to encourage reading habit

About 40,000 Visitors Attended The Fourth Used Book Fair a “Treasure of Knowledge”

The Fourth Used Book Fair under the theme “Treasure of Knowledge”, which was organized by Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services (SCHS) a non-profit organization located in the UAE under the Director Generalship of Sheikha Jameela bint Mohammad Al Qasimi, concluded on Saturday, March 5th, 2011.

SCHS aims at providing education, advocacy, and independence for people with disabilities.

The doors of the festival were opened until midnight Saturday 5th March 2011 in order to receive the energetic crowd, who came to buy books at nominal price and to enjoy an evening with cultural and social activities held in the open air theatre.

Children from various schools seized this opportunity to show their real talents onstage.

The purchase of books were made easy using a coupon system, which then went into a lucky draw.

According to Jihad Abdel Qader, the fair’s General Coordinator, 4 LCD TV sets, 3 electronic dictionaries, 10 dinner invitations to the Mega Mall, 4 invitations to Khalidia Resort in Sharjah, 3 mobile phones, and 1 invitation to Armani Restaurant at Burj Khalifa, world’s tallest building, were given as winning gifts to a number of visitors on Saturday evening.

The intensive presence of visitors from day one of the fair was highly motivational to volunteers, who dedicated a lot of time and effort to make the event a success.

The aim of the event was to raise public awareness of the importance of reading to increase knowledge and develop minds. In addition SCHS will allocate the revenue generated by the sales to continue the humanitarian services the organization provides.

Salah Odaa, SCHS Sign Language Interpreter, pointed out the importance of this happening in relation to culture and education. It has many goals such as bringing people together. Mr. Odaa handled the sign language interpretation for a number of SCHS deaf students, who volunteered to work in festival security. He considers the large number of visitors was a clear indication of people’s interest in knowledge and culture and grab the limited opportunities available to enhance them. Seeing the success of this years event, the public is demanding for more such festivals in the future.

It was Kholod Mohammed from SCHS’s Vocational Rehabilitation & Training Department first time in the festival, but it won’t be the last. She supports the goals of the festival. She thinks the idea is brilliant. Kholod suggested, in the coming circle of the festival, to create new activities in order to attract more visitors. These activities will target small children to motivate them to show more interest in reading. Some of the current festival activities include themes like “Know Your Name in Sign Language”, “Young Writer”, and the fictional character “Katoobah” were especially there to target the interest of children. The character was suggested by Kholod.

Young Writer: A Workshop of Innovation

This activity was the suggestion of Babris Abeash and Sandra Hassin from Sharjah Autism Center. The activity attracted children from ages 6 to 15.

Girls were more interested in the activity than boys. They appreciated the importance of this festival in relation to culture and socialization. The idea of the activity is to ask small children to write their own stories. Then, supervisors ask those children about the plot, the characters, and the theme of the story. English and Arabic stories were accepted. In order to stimulate kids, they were given small cards with “Young Writer” written on them.

Mothers of the Disabled Board Contribution

Mrs. Fatahia Abu Aqlean, the mother of Ahmed Sheqar, a down syndrome child, was grateful to mothers of the disabled, who volunteered to work in the festival with great enthusiasm. The fair has united the community in one activity. The festival aims at changing public’s misconceptions about people with disabilities and motivating parents to support their loved ones. Mrs. Majdah Hassim, the mother of Ahmed Hussain who is mentally disabled, was happy with this humanitarian initiative. She thanked SCHS staff. She said: “The initiative is good and effective. It is a very important kind of charity that serves the community and raises the value of books.”

Visitors Opinions

SCHS has always been a place for culture and science, but it is unique to provide books at reasonable prices with the intention of encouraging reading in order to continue the development of the community. All revenues from the festival will go to support the services provided for people with disabilities. This is really inspirational.

Mr. Mohammad Shaker, the father of Abdel Kareem who is mentally handicapped, confirmed the importance of the intensive presence of visitors in the success of the festival.

In addition, the festival accomplished its main goal, which is raising the value of books. He said: “The festival has several cultural meanings such as redistributing books for those who like to read but cannot afford that kind of luxury”.

He appreciated the work of volunteers, who were competing amongst each other to sell as many books as possible.

By each step it takes, SCHS is becoming a leader in organizing such events. It genuinely deserves much credit for spreading knowledge, culture, and supporting people with disabilities.

Mrs. Khadeja Bamakhramah, Personal Assistant of SCHS’s General Director, affirmed that many new charities were attracted this year to participate in the festival. Chinese residents in Sharjah volunteered to collect books and help sell them. In addition, the festival hosted two poets from Egypt.

A questionnaire was given out to visitors who were pleased with the activities and demanded to extend the duration of the festival for one week next year. Mrs. Bamakhramah said: “We hope to host representatives from Arab and gulf countries in the coming years. This year we managed to attract a huge crowd with different nationalities. The festival is indeed a “Treasure of Knowledge”.

Report and photos presented by:

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi
Volunteer for SCHS
Volunteer for Manzil

In co-ordination with:

Shaundel Sanchez
Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services
http://www.schs.ae/
Media and International Relations
Shaundel@schs.org.ae

PS:  The 4th Used Book Fair 2011 organised by SCHS is an excellent example for case study by Management students and organisations as to how an event of this nature could be successfully conducted generating huge interest with limited sponsorship offerings and unlimited, tireless and devoted volunteering by a group of dedicated individuals.

To know more about Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services, please visit http://www.schs.ae/ 

To know more about Manzil, please visit www.manzil.ae

This entry was posted in Clicks and writes, Community Service, Manzil, Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services.

Sharjah Used Book Fair to conclude today – Khaleej Times Dt. 04.03.2011

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Khaleej Times Dt. 04.03.2011 – Sharjah Used Book Fair to conclude today

4 March 2011 SHARJAH — The fourth edition of the Used Book Fair, organised by the Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services, will conclude today at Khalid Lagoon.

The book fair being held under the theme, “The Treasure of Knowledge,” aims to promote the value of books as well as to highlight the importance of facilitating, acquiring and developing a culture of reading in the community.

The used books are offered between Dh1 and Dh20, and all the books are provided by school students.

“Since last October, we distributed circulars in schools requesting students to donate their old books for the fair. We are open to all books in any language as long as they are not academic ones,” said Jihad al Taher, head of the organising committee.

The fair with 120 stalls by 52 schools and 53 organisations has more than 500,000 books on display.

The availability of quality readable books of different languages and topics at reasonable price has attracted lot of book lovers to the fair.

Children from schools visited the fair during the morning hours and families took the place during evening hours.

A centre stage is available for children to showcase the talent during the event days.

Notable amongst the stalls is one by the SCHS, where children can write their own stories with illustrations and get a certificate from the SCHS. There is also a stall set up by the SCHS whereby children can spell their name using sign language. Book displays include stalls by Manzil, Art of Living, Creative Mums, Embassy of Japan,
Chinese Community and other organisations and schools.

To read it in original, please visit Khaleej Times online.

This entry was posted in Community Service, Khaleej Times, Letters to the editor, Manzil, Opinion 2011, Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services.

Manzil at the 4th Used Book Fair

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This entry was posted in Community Service, Events Covered and Reviews, Manzil, Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services.

ഷാര്‍ജയില്‍ യൂസ്ഡ് ബുക് ഫെയര്‍

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ഷാര്‍ജയില്‍ യൂസ്ഡ് ബുക് ഫെയര്‍

ഷാര്‍ജ: ഷാര്‍ജ സിറ്റി ഫോര്‍ ഹ്യുമാനിറ്റേറിയന്‍ സര്‍വീസസിന്റെ നേതൃത്വത്തില്‍ നാലാമത് യൂസ്ഡ് ബുക് ഫെയര്‍ സംഘടിപ്പിക്കുന്നു. മാര്‍ച്ച് ഒന്നുമുതല്‍ നാലുവരെ ഷാര്‍ജ ഖാലിദ് ലഗൂണിലെ പാം ഗാര്‍ഡനിലാണ് യൂസ്ഡ് ബുക് ഫെയര്‍. രാവിലെ പത്തുമുതല്‍ രാത്രി പത്തുവരെയാണ് പരിപാടി.

വാര്‍ത്ത അയച്ചത്: രമേശ് മേനോന്‍

This entry was posted in Community Service, Events Covered and Reviews, Manzil, Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services.

Open Space – Khaleej Times – Dt. 02.03.2011 – The lessons we learn

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Open Space – Khaleej Times – Dt. 02.03.2011 – The lessons we learn

Open Space – Khaleej Times – Dt. 02.03.2011 – The lessons we learn
Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

2 March 2011

Recently, I had an opportunity to participate in a birthday celebration. It was an important one because, it was the sixth birthday celebration of Manzil, a charitable institution for challenged children located in Sharjah.
I had to travel early from Abu Dhabi and just managed to reach there before the functions started. Having interacted and communicated with the institution only through phone and emails, the visit was very important for me to get to know them in person.
I was really overwhelmed by the enthusiasm with which those children and the staff planned the events. Meeting visitors was also exciting for the students of different age groups. Interacting with them, I felt really privileged and blessed to be among those pure and innocent minds. There were cultural events by students which included songs and drumming and a magic show. Among them one of the senior students got really excited at meeting me and started playing around with my camera.
I allowed him to click and as his demands increased, I quietly allowed him to explore its functions. Watching him one of the teachers told him to go back to his seat and watch the show. He went quietly to his seat and then suddenly came back to me and said, “Sorry Uncle, I played with it and might have damaged it.” I told him not to worry and it was not a problem.
I was however dumbfounded by his words and actions, which in the normal circumstances may not have come from an ordinary child. These were words which people of much wisdom and mobility have now forgotten.
My day became more blessed with the action of that child and the opportunity that I got being among a group of blessed children and those who care for them with such sincerity and devotion.
Incidentally, he and other students from Manzil are participating as volunteers in the 4th Used Book Fair under the theme, “The Treasure of Knowledge.” organised by the Sharjah City of Humanitarian Services, which runs from March 1-4, 2011 at the Palm Garden in Sharjah’s Khalid Lagoon. ßYou may find good books at nominal prices and at the same time your visit may cheer them up for doing more for the society.
To read it in original, Please visit KHALEEJ TIMES online.

This entry was posted in Clicks and writes, Community Service, Events Covered and Reviews, Khaleej Times, Letters to the editor, Manzil, Opinion 2011, Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services.

The Treasure of Knowledge – 4th Used Book Fair opens at Sharjah

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The Treasure of Knowledge – 4th Used Book Fair opens at Sharjah

The Treasure of Knowledge – 4th Used Book Fair opens at Sharjah

The 4th Used Book Fair under the theme, “The Treasure of Knowledge” organised by The Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services (SCHS) opened today.
The event will be held between March 1 to 4 at the Palm Garden in Sharjah’s Khalid Lagoon. The fair is open from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm.
The book fair is aimed at promoting the value of books as well as highlighting the importance of facilitating, acquiring and developing a culture of reading and the importance of reading to the local society.
A number of schools, universities and individuals will take part to support the SCHS.

Kindly spread the word around. Please make it a point to visit the Book Fair.

This entry was posted in Community Service, Events Covered and Reviews, Manzil, Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services.

Preparations underway for ‘Used Book Fair’ in Sharjah

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Preparations underway for ‘Used Book Fair’ in Sharjah

By Jamil Khan January 24, 2011 Print Send to Friend

THE Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services (SCHS) has finalised the preparations for the 4th Used Book Fair under the theme, “The Treasure of Knowledge.”

The book fair is aimed at promoting the value of books as well as highlighting the importance of facilitating, acquiring and developing a culture of reading and the importance of reading to the local society.

A meeting was held recently at the Supreme Family Council headquarters, which was attended by representatives of stakeholders, who discussed various aspects of the fair.

The event will be held between March 1 to 4 at the Palm Garden in Sharjah’s Khalid Lagoon.

A number of schools, universities and individuals will take part to support the SCHS.

Abdul Karim, one of the co-ordinators said that the condition for the collection of books for the fair will be wide enough to cover all aspects of literature and those who participate and offer over 20 books as donation for the fair will receive a certificate from the SCHS. The prices of books will range from Dhs5 to Dhs20.

He said that the SCHS, which is main organisor of the event, will provide facilities to those who wish to install their stall, including tents, tables, chairs and banners bearing the name of each participating organisation.

The last date for setting up a stall is Feb.28.

Mona Abdel Karim and Mohammad Fawzi have asked private schools and universities to take place in the humanitarian event, which aims at providing funds for the promote education and integration of people with disabilities.

Ahmed Shaheen Al Hosani, who is one of the co-ordinators, discussed the preparations for the book fair.

However, Fawzi presented a comprehensive definition of the fair to target both public and private schools, universities and non-profit organisations.

The officials said that SCHS wants to promote the importance of volunteerism by all members of society.

Mona Abdel Karim said that students with intellectual disabilities would be participating as volunteers.

To read it in original, please visit, GULF TODAY online.

This entry was posted in Community Service, Manzil, Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services.