 |
Al-Ahram Weekly 30 March - 5 April 2000 Issue No. 475 
|
||
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
|
Al-Ahram Weekly 30 March - 5 April 2000 Issue No. 475
|
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Special Focus Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons From rehabilitation to renaissance
By Dahlia HammoudaMrs Suzanne Mubarak had a busy schedule in Washington this week. On Monday morning, she visited the Melwood Centre for the rehabilitation of the handicapped. Monday night, she attended a gala dinner at the US Library of Congress organised by the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt as a benefit for the Alexandria Library revival project. On Tuesday, she met with Monsignor Kerr, head of La Roche University. Later during the day, she attended a luncheon held in her honour by US Health Minister Donna Shalala. On Wednesday, Mrs Mubarak participated in a seminar on women's issues organised by Mrs James Wolfenson, spouse of the head of the World Bank. The seminar was followed by a luncheon held in Mrs Mubarak's honour.
During her visit to the Melwood Centre for the rehabilitation and education of the disabled, Mrs Mubarak was shown a documentary film on the centre's activities. Her visit to Melwood -- which lies in the state of Maryland, adjacent to Washington DC -- also included a tour of the classes and educational facilities, where she gathered information on the educational methods used with handicapped students. Members of the centre's staff gave her a thorough account of the methods they employ to train the disabled to use equipment specifically designed to aid them in their daily lives and to prepare them to undertake work that is commensurate with their individual abilities. The tour also covered the centre's advanced physical therapy facilities.
Mrs Mubarak's visit -- on which she was accompanied by Mrs Amr Moussa, wife of the Egyptian foreign minister, and Mrs Nabil Fahmi, wife of Egypt's ambassador to the US -- lasted two hours.
Erol Cobbis, head of the centre, described Mrs Mubarak as one of the most prominent female personalities in the field of humanitarian work worldwide.
At the visit's conclusion, Mrs Mubarak told reporters that Egypt has an ambitious programme for mobilisation for work in the field of care for the disabled. She also referred to Egypt's ongoing programme to educate and train families in methods of dealing with special needs children. Mrs Mubarak asserted her interest in learning from successful international experiences in this field. She told reporters that Egypt's began to work on special needs issues 10 years ago and that, today, the country has numerous charitable institutions and societies dedicated to these children. She added that this kind of work requires a particular breed of trained staff, those with hope and confidence in achieving success in this difficult area.
Mrs Mubarak's visit to the US Library of Congress lasted three hours, during which she was taken on an extensive tour of the various departments and wings of the library by its head. During the fundraising gala dinner held afterwards, Mrs Mubarak delivered a speech before a packed audience which included US and Egyptian businesspeople, academics, intellectuals and public figures from all over the world. The dinner, organised by AmCham Egypt, raised more than $500,000, through donations made by American and Egyptian businesspeople for the project to reopen the Alexandria Library.
Ambassador Nihad Zikry told the Middle East News Agency that, during her tour, Mrs Mubarak stressed Egypt's profound interest in spreading reading and culture, mentioning the "Reading for All" programme as an example. Mrs Mubarak also indicated that Egypt places a very high value on the renaissance of the Alexandria Library and supports cooperation with the Library of Congress in this regard.
According to Zikry, Mrs Mubarak praised the organisation of the Library of Congress, as well as its collection of books and reference materials.
During the seminar at the World Bank on women's issues and development, Mrs Mubarak talked about the role of women in contemporary Egyptian society in light of the establishment of the new Women's National Council.
