Al Jalila centre to help orphans through art therapy

Saif Humaid Al Falasi, CEO of Enoc and Dr Mona Al Bahar, executive director of the Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children, during the signing of the cooperation agreement. - Photo by Dhes Handumon

A three-year programme aimed at supporting orphans in the UAE through art therapy has been launched in Dubai.
The Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children, in partnership with Enoc, have launched the programme as part of the centre's wider 'gesture of goodwill' campaign. It is set to benefit more than 500 minors and orphans aged four to 16, over a three-year period.
Speaking to Khaleej Times on Sunday, Dr Mona Al Bahr, executive director of the centre said the programme aims to encourage the children's self-development. "We have designed special classes for these kids, but they will be mainly aimed at child orphans, as they are the most vulnerable. We want them to discover the artist inside them."
The orphans, based at Family Village - the region's first community orphanage - will be invited to partake in an array of arts and crafts classes at the centre. These workshops reorient children's psychological and emotional needs and give them the chance to "reflect their on personalities, while reinforcing fundamental concepts" such as family and sense of belonging.
"What we often find with these children is that they have been through a big disturbance in their lives. They have no focus so we want to bring that back to them. We want to help them find their passion and discover themselves," Al Bahr said.
Contributing over Dh1.3 million (over $300,000) to the programme, Saif Humaid Al Falasi, group CEO of Enoc told Khaleej Times that this is about more than just donating money. "We don't want to just come back in three years and see if the programme has been successful. We will monitor its progress by reviewing it on a quarterly basis."
Admitting that it may need adjustments during the three-year period, Al Falasi said the main aim here is to help encourage these children to express themselves through creative practice. "Hopefully, by end of year three, we can look to extend this programme. We are going into it with a long-term objective, not a short-term one. This is very important for underprivileged children's chances at education."
In coordination with the programme management at Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children, the workshops will be initiated and supervised by local and international specialists, including two Italian institutions that embed creativity and arts in their core foundation of their work philosophy.
kelly@khaleejtimes.com

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