Islamic Charity Authority and Kuwait Blind Association sign agreement for a project to empower blind women - Sarmad

The Islamic World Relief Agency 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 strengthening their capabilities and enhancing their opportunities for social and labor market participation.

Badr Al-Samit, Director General of the Agency, told the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the project is an extension of the Agency’s humanitarian and developmental mission, which places human empowerment and capacity building at the core of charitable work. It seeks to transition beneficiaries from a state of need to one of capability, productivity, and self-reliance.

Al-Samit added that the Agency’s focus on persons with disabilities is reflected in a range of specialized programs and initiatives, including the “Human Building” initiative, which delivered rehabilitation programs for various groups and benefited 600 individuals. Additionally, another project provided rehabilitation and therapeutic services to 200 beneficiaries from diverse disability categories within Kuwait.

He noted that the Agency’s efforts also included specialized initiatives for the blind and persons with disabilities, such as launching the first Quranic competition for the blind, which involved 45 participants, and providing assistive devices and tools in Braille, smart canes, and technological aids serving the blind, deaf, and persons with physical disabilities. These measures aim to enhance their independence and facilitate their daily lives.

He stated that the Agency 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 that its experience would serve as a foundation for developing other specialized programs in the coming period.

He pointed out that for the second consecutive year, the Agency participated in implementing the “Bader Wa Yana” summer training program in collaboration with the Public Authority for Youth Affairs. The program aims 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.

He explained that the Agency’s experience in economic empowerment spans years, particularly through its microfinance program, which has financed approximately 62,707 projects in 32 countries since its launch in 1998, with a value nearing $100 million.

He mentioned that the “Al-Kasb Al-Tayyib” (Halal Earnings) Fund for Orphan Families has financed approximately 877 projects in 12 countries since 2022. Furthermore, over 18,000 trainees have benefited from vocational training programs in the last five years, while more than 13,000 individuals in 19 countries have benefited from production projects or tools that enabled them to enter the labor market and strengthen their self-reliance.

For his part, Faiq Al-Azmi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Kuwait Blind Association, told KUNA in a similar statement that the agreement is a practical step toward expanding empowerment programs for blind women and opening new pathways for them in learning, training, and work, thereby enhancing their self-confidence and ability to participate and produce.

Al-Azmi added that the Association would contribute its expertise to identifying the needs of beneficiaries and monitoring the programs provided to them, ensuring alignment with the nature of visual impairment and maximizing benefits from the various stages of the project.

He emphasized the importance of providing a training environment that addresses the needs of blind women and equips them with the necessary tools to manage daily life and work demands, stressing that true empowerment begins with skill development and by giving beneficiaries the opportunity to demonstrate their own capabilities.

He clarified that the project is not limited to professional aspects 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 will serve as a successful model of cooperation between charitable institutions and organizations concerned with persons with disabilities, leaving a tangible impact on the lives of beneficiaries and paving the way for more diverse and broader initiatives in the coming period.