We had a meeting of the executive committee of Care Society this evening at 2030hrs. The meeting held at Care Society was chaired by Chiarman of the Committee Dr. Abdul Hameed. I participated in the meeting as an elected independent member of the Committee.

Care Society is an NGO registered in the Maldives in 1998 with the aim of improving the lives of local vulnerable people. Care Society has 289 resource members supporting [its] programs. Its aims are, to: (i) create equal rights and opportunities for people with disabilities in the Maldives, (ii) promote the rights of women and children and raise awareness (iii) assist affected people during times of national disasters, and (iv) build capacity of NGOs, community based organizations and community groups

Two of the major programs of Care Society include:

Care Development Centre (CDC): It is an educational and rehabilitation centre established in 2001. The centre has 53 students with disabilities in 10 classes, attended to by a team of 8 teachers trained in special education who run customized programs on core themes – (i) independent skills, (ii) communication skills, (iii) socialization skills, and (iv) academic skills. CDC also helps parents of children with disabilities. Over 60 parents have been trained to date in parental education programs. The centre has also provided vocational training to 10 young people in vocational training.

Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR): Care Society has collaborated with island communities to establish two rehabilitation centres for people with disabilities; one in Gaaf Dhaalu Thinadhoo and one in Seenu Hithadhoo. These centres focus on (i) provision of socialization and academic support to disabled children and people leading toward independent living, and (ii) provision of referral services and creating awareness at the different levels of community. The CBR centres are run by a network of volunteers.

The meeting of the executive committee reviewed the ongoing programs and looked at ways of filling the gaps in funding for the long term sustainability of the organization. I have written this post in the hope that we can actually get some ideas from the mvblog community on ways of further reaching out to those who are interested in supporting an effort such as the Care Society.

Care Society accepts financial and technical support. Support to Care Society can change the life of a teacher, child with disability, or a family of a child with disabilities.

Further information can be obtained by emailing to info@caresociety.org.mv or calling Care Society on +960 3322297. Donations are also accepted to our Bank of Maldives accounts 7701-126874-102 (USD) or 7701-126874-101 (Rufiyaa).

Your valuable feedback on Care Society and its programs are very welcome.