Damascus-SANA
The Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, Muhammad Seif El-Din, affirmed the ministry's support for the activities and programs of NGOs related to empowering persons with disabilities in terms of training and qualifying them to enter the labor market.
Minister Seif El-Din considered that the experience of the Roots Association in this field through its “Societe Restaurant” project in Tishreen Park is one of the successful and distinguished experiences, as it was able to secure job opportunities for about 30 young men and women with Down syndrome since the opening of the project last year until now.
Minister Seif El-Din, during his visit to the project today, praised the association's efforts in the field of integrating people with disabilities into society through the services provided to them in the ministry's social welfare homes, which include educational and health services and vocational training, as well as the integration of efforts with the private sector to reach quality services for this category in society.
On the “Societe Restaurant and Café” project, which was launched last August, the association’s president, Kholoud Rajab, indicated that it is the first of its kind in Syria and has succeeded in changing the stereotype about people with disabilities and making them productive and active people, explaining that the idea of the project has been translated since 2018, when a group of people with disabilities were trained. Adolescents and youth with Down syndrome on the mechanism of work in restaurants and providing hospitality through their participation in a number of festivals and exhibitions.
Rajab indicated that the association is working to expand its experience to include other areas in Damascus or the governorates to reach the largest number of beneficiaries with different disabilities and achieve a real integration of them into society.
With a smile that does not leave their faces, the Societ team receives the customers, as the young man Ahmed Jalloul considered that getting a job opportunity enabled him to be self-reliant, while the young woman, Sidra Al-Hussein, referred to the association’s role in supporting their abilities and qualifying them appropriately to work and interact with the community.
It is noteworthy that Juzoor Association was established in 2016 and is concerned, in addition to caring for persons with disabilities, by providing psychological and social support, protecting children from violence, and providing health, psychological and social services to them.
Muhannad Suleiman
