ABU DHABI, 12th August, 2023 (WAM) — Marking International Youth Day, Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination (ZHO) launched two initiatives in support of its members.
The first initiative is the inauguration of the second branch of The Bee Café for people of determination at the headquarters of the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC). The café is intended for promoting and raising awareness of the skills and capabilities of people of determination in various areas. It is the first-ever café in the UAE, fully operated by people of determination.
Opening the café comes in implementation of the joint cooperation agreement signed between ZHO and ERC, aimed to empower people of determination and highlight their achievements and potentials by providing opportunities contributing to supporting them and promoting their employment and community integration.
Initiative two is the production of a documentary on young people of determination, titled "Youth are Leaders". It highlights the importance of the role of youth in the transition towards a green economy and the promotion of a culture of sustainability. It is designed to highlight their great capabilities to fully integrate into society, challenge disability and turn it into productive work force, which demonstrates their excellence and good skills to prove themselves, and contribute to development and renaissance efforts.
Abdullah Al Humaidan, ZHO’s Secretary-General, asserted that ZHO strives to enable the role of people of determination in society by establishing strategic partnerships with many government and private bodies to train and qualify them to obtain specialised certificates in fields suiting their abilities and tendencies. They have already been rehabilitated and trained to enter the labour market in various fields and many innovative projects, including The Bee Café for specialty coffee, branded bee, which is associated with various products of people of determination, he said.
Al Humaidan added, “ERC is one of the entities having successful strategic partnership with ZHO. Opening the café comes within their distinguished partnership to carry out one of ZHO’s most important innovative projects, aimed at moving people of determination to a new stage outside the umbrella of ZHO’s centres to serve as an experience for them and an opportunity to show their abilities and their engagement into society more closely and directly."
For his part, Hamoud Abdullah Al Junaibi, ERC’s Acting Secretary-General, affirmed that opening the Bee Café vital project embodies the interest of ERC and ZHO in constructive and fruitful cooperation to empower people of determination economically and socially, create appropriate conditions for them to actively participate in the social and productive life and help them achieve as much of psychological and social compatibility and economic and financial independence.
The Bee Cafe is the first café with a full staff of people of determination with various disabilities. Its first branch is located at ZHO’s headquarters in the Mafraq Area, at the entrance to ZHO’s Abu Dhabi Rehabilitation & Care Centre.