Fatimah (third left) joins Mohamad Guntor (left), Chi (on Fatimah’s left) and others in a photo-call at the Wishesland Centre in Kuching.
KUCHING: The Sarawak government is encouraging non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to continue helping children with special needs, especially in areas of intervention and rehabilitation.
In making this call, Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said in reciprocation, the government would continue to support the activities run by the NGOs, such as through the channelling of grants and funding meant to enable them organise and hold various programmes for this target group.
“Rehabilitation work for our disabled children is very good and therefore, the government always supports the NGOs towards this endeavour,” she said when met during her visit to Wishesland Centre here yesterday, where the minister announced a government grant of RM20,000 for Wishesland to run programmes such as those related to rehabilitation for children with cerebral palsy.
According to Fatimah, the Sarawak government is planning to set up a training institution for children with disabilities towards enabling them to further their studies to a higher level.
She said the institution would later provide training to the children, focusing on their abilities.
“This institution would be meant to provide training that could not be provided by NGOs at their premises,” she added.
Fatimah also encouraged more NGOs in Sarawak, including Wishesland, to provide training to children with cerebral palsy so that they could continue studying and then, proceeding to work and generate incomes independently.
She then commended the Wishesland Centre, established 12 years ago, for its performance quality in terms of providing good facilities and training to children with cerebral palsy.
She also pledged full support for Wishesland to expand its operation to Miri.
Fatimah was accompanied by acting director of Welfare Department Sarawak Mohamad Guntor Rajaee and other officers during the visit, where they were welcomed by the Wishesland Centre president Chi Poh Yung.