“The Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs has agreed to consider a proposal for an income-generating project in aid of the disabled children at our center,” said Jiffry Haniffa, who is heading a delegation from the Islamic Center for the Physically Handicapped (ICPH) in Sri Lanka.
He made the comments following his meeting on Monday with Saleh Al-Aayed, secretary-general of the supreme council.
Haniffa said the total cost of the proposed project — a medicare complex — is $200,000. “It will offer medical services free of charge to all 250 inmates at the center, while its teachers will be able to enjoy services at discounted rates. The income from this project could meet half of the ICPH’s annual budget,” he said.
Haniffa also met Abdulaziz Abdullah Al-Ammar, deputy minister of Islamic Affairs for Endowments, Call and Guidance, and Saleh Al-Wohaibi, secretary-general of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth, on Tuesday.
Receiving an ICPH donation request for Braille equipment and teaching aides, Al-Ammar said the appeal will be forwarded to Crown Prince Sultan, who is also the chairman of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.
The center, which Haniffa started in 1984 with just eight disabled students and a teacher, now has 250 children, including 50 girls, and 36 teachers. The center is an honorary member of the Riyadh-based Islamic World Council for Disability and Rehabilitation that works under the support of Crown Prince Sultan.
