18 - 24 January 2001
Issue No.517
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 18 - 24 January 2001 Issue No.517 |
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A friend in need
Whether looking for a job or just somebody to talk to, the country's disabled athletes are increasingly turning to Best Buddies Egypt. The non-profit organisation is dedicated to enhancing the lives of sportsmen and women with mental retardation by providing opportunities for one-on-one friendships, socialisation and integrated employment. "Our ultimate goal is a world where people with disabilities are successfully integrated in our communities," said Yasmine Abou Friekha, head of BB Egypt.
What started out in one high school in 1999 has mushroomed into a 200-volunteer workforce from Misr Language Schools, Cairo University and the American University in Cairo matched in one-on-one friendships with 70 mentally disabled athletes. There are seven offices in Egypt and new chapters are expected to be launched soon in four universities. Support and guidance come from Mrs Suzanne Mubarak, honourary president of BB Egypt and Special Olympics Egypt (SOE), Magda Moussa, president of BB Egypt and vice president of SOE, and Ayman Abdel-Wahab, chief executive officer of BB Egypt.
Best Buddies International was founded by Anthony Shriver in 1987 while he was a student at Georgetown University. In 1989, Best Buddies was incorporated as a non-profit organisation and expanded to 33 college chapters. Best Buddies of America formally changed to Best Buddies International with the opening of chapters in Greece in 1992, Canada in 1994 and Egypt in 1999. Its headquarters was moved from Washington DC to Miami, Florida. Best Buddies has grown from one chapter on one college campus to a vibrant international organisation involving 13,000 participants in more than 400 high schools and college campuses throughout the world.
"The programme provides a group of people that has been excluded from our society and has not been given a chance to actively participate in their communities," said BB Egypt's Abou Friekha. "Although we have come a long way, we still have much work to do in this country before we can truly say a person with mental retardation has had a fair chance at reaching his or her ultimate abilities. When people with disabilities are unable to keep a job, it is often due to a lack of social skills rather than a lack of ability to perform the work required," Magda Moussa added.
Through their participation in Best Buddies, people with mental retardation are given the chance to explore new friendships and widen their social circles. Students learn about leadership, community service and their roles as future employees and leaders in the community.
Most countries do not have the resources to identify people with mental retardation or distinguish between different mental disabilities. Many times, services are totally inadequate or do not even exist.
Best Buddies Egypt, which provides year-round training and competitions in a variety of Olympic-type sports for individuals with mental disabilities, pairs people with mental disabilities with school and university students and community citizens to find them a job in society. It gives the buddy (the mentally disabled) the chance to explore a new way of life. Best Buddies staff members facilitate and monitor each friendship between the mentally disabled and the school or college student. It is the duty of these students to cross the invisible line that often separates those with disabilities from those without.
To be a Best Buddies friend, a minimum once a week phone call and bi-weekly outings are required. Volunteers are interviewed to thoroughly assess their personalities and their ability to take care of a mentally retarded friend. Based on that information, several criteria are taken into consideration to reach the best buddy pair possible, including sex, age, residence, leisure time, hobbies, interests and common memberships in sports clubs.
"Our objectives are to expand BB Egypt to include as many high schools and universities as possible for next year and to introduce the most job programmes as well," Abou Friekha said.
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