JORDAN –MAFRAQ-NEAR IRAQI CEMETARY
mafraq
Jordan
- Youth and education
Mission of the Center
The Mafraq Center strives to cultivaete daily-life skills of persons with disabilities in order for them to increase independence, to successfully integrate into society, and to generalize skills learned to life outside the center. The center works towards these goals by providing comprehensive and ability-appropriate services to children with special needs and support to families of children with disabilities. Coordinating with the Ministry of Social Development and private foundations, the center strives to empower persons with disabilities and raise awareness about disabilities within the larger community.
Center Objectives
To implement appropriate Special Education services, including academic instruction and behavior modification. To train for independence in activities of daily life, including hygiene, self-care, and eating appropriately. To provide specialized therapy targeting student needs, including speech and physical therapy. To promote the integration of persons with disabilities in the community, focusing on the ability of each student to contribute meaningfully to the larger society. To introduce students to recreational and sport activities through day-trips and organized events.
Center Activities
The Mafraq Center for Training and Rehabilitation consists of four full-time classrooms for children with mild-to-moderate mental retardation, an on-site autism program and a daily art-therapy program. Additionally, the center provides outpatient occupational therapy services to children with physical disabilities. Specific center activities and amenities include:* Academic training for individuals with mild-to-moderate mental retardation including: object awareness, language, math, social studies, science, art, music, drama, independence and self-care.* Autism program including behavior modification principles, sensory integration, and applied behavioral analysis.* Art therapy program to develop vocational skills of teens with disabilities* Physical therapy program for children with physical disabilities* Bi-weekly Community Based Rehabilitation sessions with JAICA (offsite in Manshia and Alhumraa)* Field-trips and outings of cultural and academic importance, focusing on integration of students in the community.* Daily snack provided to all students by the center.* Daily transportation to and from the center.
CBR Program
The CBR team at the Mafraq Center for Training and Rehabilitation is responsible for the implementation of Community Based Rehabilitation (physical therapy) in Mafraq and Mansheeya, which lies about 30 km from Mafraq’s city center.
The CBR team sees clients in the center daily (14 clients per week) and visits Manshia twice weekly to provide in-home physical therapy services (20 cases per week).
The CBR team is made up of a professionally trained Physical Therapist and two nurse-practitioners.
Through my position at my center, I was able to gain the respect and trust of many women in my community. Many times when a woman I know faces a problem in their home, they consult me for help and advice. Women see that I am strong and want me to help them be strong as well. Sometimes women who are beaten by their husbands and brothers have come to me for advice, and I tell them that they should stand up for themselves and speak to the police, even if it is difficult. being beaten her husband directing you to speak with the police.
I have the ability to influence the community I live in. I am already creating a network of women who stand for feminist leadership, women empowerment, and gender equality, and after attending the conference I could even better bring change to my society. academic programming for students with disabilities. From my position as a director of a Special Education center I have the opportunity to work with a wide range of people from various classes in Jordan. I have more complete knowledge of the problems, concerns, and abilities of people within my local community than someone who lives and deals only in the capital Amman would have. I am also a forward thinking woman in my society. I think that people who are otherwise uneducated about the ability of Arab women to create change within the society would benefit from seeing how motivated and independent that I am. I think that I have the ability to bring change to my community and to Jordan, and think I could inspire people to see that their own societies have the potential for change and growth as well.
I know that I have the strength of character that make me an activist and feminist leader, but I want to expand my knowledge further so that I can help think of solutions to problems in my country. It is one thing to know that a problem exists, but another to be able to work towards solving it. I am very aware that there needs to be more equality between men and women in Jordan. Women need to be better represented in the government. Women must have access to top jobs usually held my men. Women must be more independent so that they can take care of themselves. Honor killings need to stop. These are things that I want to work towards in Jordan, but I need a place to start, and I’m hoping that this program will be that place. I want to learn tools and strategies that will contribute to the development of women’s rights in Asia, and with those tools I think I can bring about a lot of change