Kuwait Charity Authority and Kuwait Association for the Blind Sign Agreement for Blind Women Empowerment Project

Kuwait City, July 10 (KUNA) – The Islamic World Relief Organization and the Kuwait Blind Association signed a partnership agreement today, Wednesday, to launch the “Capacity Building and Professional Empowerment of Blind Women” project. The initiative targets 200 blind women and girls aged 18 and above through a comprehensive 12-month training program aimed at enhancing their capabilities and strengthening their opportunities for social and labor market participation.

Bader Al-Samit, Director General of the Islamic World Relief Organization, told KUNA that the project extends the organization’s humanitarian and developmental mission, which places human empowerment and capacity building at the core of its charitable work. He emphasized the organization’s goal of transitioning beneficiaries from a state of dependency to one of capability, productivity, and self-reliance.

Al-Samit noted that the organization’s focus on persons with disabilities is reflected in a series of specialized programs and initiatives, including the “Human Building” initiative, which delivered rehabilitation programs benefiting 600 individuals across various categories. Additionally, another project provided rehabilitation and therapeutic services to 200 beneficiaries with different types of disabilities within Kuwait.

He highlighted that the organization’s efforts also encompassed specialized initiatives for the blind and persons with disabilities, such as launching the first Quranic competition for the blind, which attracted 45 participants. The organization also provided Braille devices and assistive tools, including smart canes and technological aids serving the blind, deaf, and persons with motor disabilities, thereby enhancing their independence and facilitating daily life.

Al-Samit stated that the organization views the new project as an extension of a broader institutional pathway for capacity building and professional empowerment of persons with disabilities. He expressed hope that its outcomes would open new horizons for learning, work, and initiative, and serve as a foundation for developing other specialized programs in the coming period.

He further noted that the organization participated for the second consecutive year in implementing the “Bader Wa Yana” summer training program in collaboration with the Public Authority for Private Education. The program aimed to rehabilitate secondary and university students under care, introduce them to institutional charity, and develop their professional and leadership skills. To date, 78 students have benefited from the program.

Al-Samit outlined the organization’s long-standing experience in economic empowerment through its microfinance program, which, since its launch in 1998, has funded approximately 62,707 projects in 32 countries with a value nearing $100 million. He added that the Orphan Productive Families Fund (“Al-Kasb Al-Tayyib”) has financed around 877 projects in 12 countries since 2022. Moreover, over 18,000 trainees have benefited from vocational training programs in the last five years, and more than 13,000 individuals in 19 countries have benefited from productive projects or tools that enabled them to enter the labor market and enhance their self-reliance.

For his part, Faiq Al-Azmi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Kuwait Blind Association, told KUNA that the agreement represents a practical step toward expanding programs for the empowerment of blind women and opening new pathways for them in learning, training, and employment, thereby boosting their self-confidence and capacity for participation and productivity.

Al-Azmi added that the association would contribute its expertise in identifying beneficiaries’ needs and monitoring the programs provided to them, ensuring alignment with the nature of visual impairment and maximizing benefits from all project phases. He stressed the importance of providing a training environment that accommodates the needs of blind women and equips them with the necessary tools to handle daily life and work demands. He emphasized that true empowerment begins with skill development and giving beneficiaries the opportunity to prove their capabilities independently.

He clarified that the project is not limited to the professional aspect alone; it also seeks to enhance the social participation of blind women, highlight their potential, and remove barriers that may limit their presence in various fields.

Al-Azmi expressed the association’s hope that the project would serve as a successful model of cooperation between charitable institutions and entities focused on persons with disabilities, leaving a tangible impact on beneficiaries’ lives and paving the way for more diverse and broader initiatives in the future. (End) S.L.M. / A.N.D.