Take my hand

I cannot live without work.” Eman Al-Anesi

When Eman first started volunteering she worked with the Association of Life Makers as a volunteer and trainer. She quickly demonstrated the strength of her personality and abilities, so one of the social personalities offered to appoint her as a youth leader. He was surprised that she had not completed high school, so she decided to finish her education and received a grant for a one year NGO Management Diploma studies.

She was then employed in the Right to Life Foundation for cerebral palsy. She became acquainted with the disabled community and decided that helping them would be one of her life’s goals. She established the Alwan Children’s Foundation which cares for the children of prisoners and provides them with shelter away from the prison. She adopted a learning-through-play style of education.

After the project was shut down, Eman had to stay at home and became depressed after time away from the work that had become her passion. She decided to return to work in the Take My Hand Association which had been created by the well-known philanthropist Fatima Al-Aqil before her death to help disabled people. Eman restored life to this association and managed it efficiently.

Eman helps disabled people to start their own businesses, preparing them for the labour market by providing economic empowerment courses; and supports the families of those in need. She also runs school activities in several schools to raise awareness of the role of the disabled, their integration into society, and to help the community to understand and help them.

Fifty students with disabilities, affiliated to the association, graduated from the university in the fields of pharmacy, management, accounting, finance and banking. Seven of them are now doing their Master’s degrees. Fifteen projects including stationery and grocery stores, clinics, real estate agencies and ice cream vending carts have been inaugurated. Monthly financial guarantees have been distributed to 90 families, and medication provided to 85 beneficiaries with disabilities, in addition to other seasonal and relief activities being run by the association.