President Dr Arif Alvi, on Thursday, stressed the need for coordination and cooperation among all stakeholders and organizations working for differently-abled children to synergize their efforts so that rehabilitation of special children could be carried out in a holistic and inclusive manner.
The president expressed the views in a meeting with a delegation of the Association of Retarded Children Karachi (ARCK) here at Sindh Governor House. Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the government, as well as charitable organizations, had taken a range of measures for the rehabilitation, education and vocational training of special children, their financial empowerment and integration in society. He said that differently-abled children above the age of 9 years could be registered with NADRA with special status that enabled their access to special facilities being offered by the government.
“Awareness about special children and their specific needs has risen over time. Considering the number of such children in the country, more initiatives and interventions are required”, he maintained.
The President appreciated ARCK for its contributions to the cause of education, training and rehabilitation of retarded children for more than 50 years and encouraged the association to look into the possibility of joining other organizations working for the same cause to strengthen their efforts and outreach. Begum Samina Arif Alvi, who was also present at the occasion, stressed the need for coordination among all relevant associations and organizations to reinforce the efforts aimed at the rehabilitation of special children through education and vocational training.
The ARCK delegation briefed the president about the performance of the association, the facilities available at their school and the issues being faced by them. Later, President Dr Arif Alvi, along with Begum Samina Arif Alvi, also observed handicrafts and artefacts prepared by special children of the Association of Retarded Children School Karachi and appreciated their hard work and artistic beauty.
