Under the patronage and in the presence of the Minister of Social Affairs, Ms. Haneen Al-Sayed, the Al-Hadi Foundation for Hearing and Visual Impairment, Language and Communication Disorders held its second annual talents and sustainable development ceremony, titled “The Close of ESCWA Tales 4”. The ceremony took place at the Foundation's theatre and saw wide participation, led by a high-level ministerial delegation comprising Ms. Nada Fawaz, Ms. Hiam Sakr, Ms. Marie Ghaya and Ms. Saba Marwa.
The ceremony was also honored by the attendance of the Assistant Secretary-General of the Lebanese National Commission for UNESCO, Ms. Ramza Jaber, and the Commission's member Ms. Katia Ibrahim; the Deputy Executive Secretary of ESCWA and Director General Mr. Nasser Shammout; and the representatives of the ESCWA Tales team, Ms. Haifa Badreddine and Ms. Wafaa Al-Bizri. Also present were the Director General of Al-Mabarrat Charitable Association Dr. Mohammad Baqer Fadlallah, the Association's Relations Coordinator Sheikh Fouad Khreiss, the President of Burj Al-Barajneh Municipality Mr. Mostafa Harb and his deputy Mr. Hassan Al-Sabaa, Dr. Wiam Bou Hamdan, the President of the Friends Council of Al-Hadi Mr. Youssef Hammoud and members of the Council, alongside school and university principals, educational figures and pupils' families.
The event opened with a reception and welcome by the Director General of Al-Mabarrat Dr. Mohammad Baqer Fadlallah and leaders from Al-Mabarrat and the Al-Hadi Foundation. Symbolic gifts made by the Foundation's pupils were presented to the Minister, followed by a meeting with the Foundation's management in which light was shed on the Foundation's departments and its integrated educational, therapeutic and care services, its advanced educational programmes, its assessment and diagnosis system, and the mechanisms for accompanying people with disabilities from an early age through to their inclusion and employment in society.
The Minister, the accompanying delegation and those present then made an inspection tour of the Foundation's schools, where they saw the educational, therapeutic and behavioral work in progress, and viewed the modern equipment in the classrooms, therapy rooms, workshops and rehabilitation and vocational departments, including advanced technological aids, assistive devices and classroom environment adaptations.
The Minister expressed her admiration for what the Foundation provides, affirming “the need for cooperation and for drawing on the Foundation's expertise”.
For his part, Mr. Nasser Shammout praised the high quality of care and support given to the Foundation's pupils.
The official ceremony then began with a moving talents speech delivered by pupil Fatima Hreisi of Al-Noor School for the Blind, accompanied by sign-language interpretation from pupil Jawad Ghandoura of Al-Raja School for the Deaf. After a recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, the ceremony opened with the Lebanese national anthem and the ESCWA anthem in sign language.
Creative segments followed, with pupil Fatima Al-Berjy of Al-Noor School for the Blind reciting poems inspired by the sustainable development tales. The theatre team also presented a performance titled “The Box”, directed by Mr. Ali Roumieh, addressing love of country and curbing the brain drain, which met with a strong response from the audience.
The ceremony included speeches from the patron and supporting figures:
The speech of the Al-Hadi Foundation's management, delivered by Relations Officer Abeer Habib, reviewed the Foundation's history and mission, its efforts in adopting the sustainable development goals and embedding them in the curricula, developing programmes, local and international participation, adapting the official examinations, training parents and staff, and on to empowering people with disabilities and including them in society.
The speech of the National Commission for UNESCO, delivered by Assistant Secretary-General Ms. Ramza Jaber, affirmed that “the ceremony embodies UNESCO's philosophy of building just and inclusive societies”, calling for “intensified efforts to ensure genuine inclusion for people of determination”.
The ESCWA speech, delivered by Deputy Executive Secretary Mr. Nasser Shammout, highlighted the fruitful cooperation with the Foundation since 2021 within the “Tales of Sustainable Development” project, praising the Foundation's leadership and its translation of the tales into varied creative works.
The speech of the ceremony's patron, Minister Haneen Al-Sayed, expressed her deep appreciation for the Al-Hadi Foundation's approach, “which treats its students as people with abilities and not merely as cases”. She affirmed that “the Ministry regards the Foundation as an essential partner in shaping a social vision centred on the human being, dignity and justice”.
She pointed to “the Ministry's efforts to support children with disabilities through contracts with care institutions, strengthening support programmes and activating Law 220/2000”, stressing “the pursuit of care based on rights, quality and empowerment”. She closed with a tribute to the Al-Hadi Foundation and to the day's heroes, the pupils.
The events concluded with the opening of a varied art exhibition, which included corners for drawing, sculpture and handicrafts, and sections for science, robotics, environment and agriculture projects. The exhibition also featured a special corner for the hospitality department, where its students and teachers presented distinctive dishes that won the admiration of those present.
