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Ata’a Charity Investment Fund for Supporting Persons with Disabilities Launches “A Community That Embraces Us” Project to Empower and Integrate 650 Children with Disabilities in Villages across Assiut 

As part of its ongoing efforts to support and empower persons with disabilities and promote their inclusion in society, the Ata’a Charity Investment Fund for Supporting Persons with Disabilities, in cooperation with Ma’an Association, announced the launch of the community-based rehabilitation project “A Community That Embraces Us” in Assiut Governorate. The project aims to improve the living conditions of 650 children and persons with disabilities by providing integrated rehabilitation and developmental services through the implementation of specialized programs such as the Portage Program for developing the skills of children with intellectual disabilities, the Lovaas Program for children with autism spectrum disorder, in addition to speech therapy and physical rehabilitation programs. This contributes to improving their quality of life and enhancing their opportunities for inclusion in society and education. The project represents an important step toward building a more inclusive and equitable society through the integration of efforts by civil society organizations, community actors, and local leaders to ensure the sustainability of services and achieve tangible impact in the lives of persons with disabilities and their families. 

Amira El Refaei, Executive Director of Ata’a Fund, affirmed that the project aims to establish and sustain 7 rehabilitation units in 7 villages in the districts of Sedfa and Abutig in Assiut Governorate. This includes the establishment of 5 new units and the reactivation and support of 2 existing units, enabling the provision of comprehensive rehabilitation services in the areas of developmental, academic, and behavioral capacity-building for children with disabilities, in addition to supporting youth, families, and the local community. 

Through these units, children with disabilities will receive specialized rehabilitation sessions, including speech and physical rehabilitation, skills development, behavior modification, and support for learning difficulties, in accordance with individualized intervention plans and regular sessions tailored to each child’s needs. To ensure the sustainability of services, the project also includes strengthening the capacities of 21 specialized trainers through integrated training programs, in addition to providing psychological support and family counseling services to around 500 mothers, helping them deal positively with disability, advocate for their children’s rights, and benefit from the services available. 

El Refaei added that the project places strong emphasis on creating an inclusive environment within the community. In this regard, 5 youth centers are being equipped through accessibility improvements such as the construction of ramps and other modifications, as well as the provision of suitable equipment and sports games. The project also includes building a comprehensive database of beneficiaries and measuring the impact of activities through field follow-up and surveys. In addition, 30 youth center staff members will be trained on designing and implementing inclusive activities, while sports festivals and artistic and recreational events will be organized to promote the participation of children and youth with disabilities alongside their peers. 

El Refaei further noted that, as part of ensuring service integration, the project will coordinate with existing projects already funded by Ata’a Fund to refer children who require specialized support services such as wheelchairs, support for small income-generating projects, cochlear implant spare parts, and prosthetic limbs, thereby ensuring that beneficiaries receive more comprehensive and integrated support. The project also includes an important health and community component through the training of 21 nurses and rural outreach workers on the early detection of disabilities and early intervention, helping identify cases at an early stage and refer them to the units that will be established under the project so that each beneficiary can begin receiving an appropriate intervention plan as early as possible. The project also includes equipping 7 health units with the tools necessary to support this approach. 

It is worth noting that Ata’a is the first charity investment fund established in Egypt, and its founders were keen to focus its work on supporting persons with disabilities. One of the key advantages of the charity investment fund model is that it ensures the sustainability of funding, as spending is generated from investment returns rather than the original capital itself. This model is also based on separating the allocation of funds from the implementation of charitable and social projects, in addition to assigning a specialized company licensed by the Financial Regulatory Authority to manage the Fund’s investment portfolio, thereby enhancing efficiency and reinforcing the highest standards of oversight and governance. Investing in الخير through purchasing certificates of the Ata’a Charity Investment Fund for Supporting Persons with Disabilities is available to individuals, companies, and other legal entities through the branches of a number of Egyptian commercial banks, in addition to Nasser Social Bank.