The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and the Lutheran Union Graduate a Group of Hearing-Impaired Aluminum Technicians

(Al Bireh– 13/9/2012): PRCS and the World Lutheran Union graduated a group of students from the PRCS’ Total Communication School who took part in a 3-month vocational course for the training of Aluminum technicians at the Lutheran Union Training Center in Ramallah.

The graduation ceremony was attended by Ms. Suheir Badarneh, Head of the PRCS Rehabilitation Program, Mr. Yousef Shalian, Director of the training center as well as by many parents.

In her welcome address, Ms. Badarneh highlighted the exceptional cooperation between PRCS and the Lutheran Union which materialized during this vocational course. She hoped to see this cooperation continue in the future. “PRCS seeks to develop and improve its educational and rehabilitation services to disabled persons. It has succeeded in doing so thanks to its cooperation with the Qatar Red Crescent Society. People with hearing impairments require special attention, and I hope that this collaboration with the Lutheran Union and with parents continues in the future to ensure the integration of hearing-impaired persons in labor markets and to enhance their entrepreneurship skills”.

She added: “This course is part of a project which aims at developing educational and rehabilitation services provided in the three schools for the hearing-impaired in the West Bank where 220 students are enrolled. The project, implemented with support from the Qatar Red Crescent Society, focuses on educational tools, developing and increasing the number of skilled staff as well as enhancing parents’ capacities. It also aims at developing the physical school environment through the creation of vocational classrooms and technology rooms, the development of libraries, the provision of reading and drawing rooms as well as of appropriate educational tools, hearing aids, individual work programs, extra-curricular activities and summer camps to integrate hearing-impaired students. The project shall also facilitate the creation and training of artistic troupes and support the vocational education of hearing-impaired boys and girls”, she said.

Mr. Shalian praised services provided by PRCS to Palestinians in general and to disabled persons in particular. “Steps taken by PRCS to build the skills of its hearing-impaired students and to provide them with e-learning opportunities are to be lauded. Our Center shall cooperate with the Society in all relevant fields, especially to build the capacities of disabled persons, help students find vocational training opportunities and help graduates find jobs”, he said.