GM of the Handicapped Care Fund to YT: The Fund aims at qualifying the handicapped for shouldering greater responsibilities in society [Archives:2001/49/Interview]
The handicapped Care Fund is a newly established organization that was set up to take care of the Yemeni handicapped. Mr. Ismail al-Ghabri interviewed Mr. Ahmad Qasem Shugaaddin, General Manager of the Fund and conducted the following interview.
Q: What are the objectives of the Fund?
A: The Fund was established in 1991 by a Republican decree to relieve distress among the handicapped. Its goals were to generate support for projects pertaining to training and rehabilitating the handicapped, to develop financial resources, and to provide equipment required for the training of the handicapped.
There are a great number of handicapped, about 1,900,000, most of whom are children and women. They face problems such as insufficient facilities of training and remote residences. There is a need to qualify this segment of people to enable them to shoulder greater responsibilities in supporting a modern society. These are all factors that have greatly facilitated the endorsement of the law by the Parliament. We are expecting the law to be passed by the President, who has been very attentive to the needs of the handicapped, in the near future.
Q: Who are the beneficiaries of the support generated by the Fund?
A: The handicapped, as well as their families, which need to gain the knowledge to bring up their handicapped children properly.
Q: What are the future projects to be supported by the Fund?
A: There are many projects which will be implemented according to their priorities. Some of our intended plans are following up the collection of local and foreign resources mentioned in the law; enhancing abilities of government centers, schools, organizations, etc. in the fields of social and health rehabilitation, etc.; providing the equipment and qualified support; providing obtainable loans for qualified handicapped people to run their own projects; opening new centers for the countryside and remote areas’ handicapped; encouraging the establishment of related societies; establishing specialized training centers; searching for local as well as foreign markets for the handicapped production; etc. These are in short some of the intended future projects.
Q: From where does the Fund gets its resources?
A: There are specified local and foreign resources. Other channels of financing depend on our ability to persuade donors to support our projects.
Q: Can you tell about the size of your budget?
A: This can be possible after the law is passed by a Republican decree.
Q: Any other comments?
A: I would like to especially thank the President, the legislative and Executive authorities and the Handicapped Society Union for the great efforts they have made to make this project a dream come true. I would also take the opportunity of this interview to call upon brotherly and friendly countries, organizations and businessmen to help achieve the goals of the Fund.
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