"SUMMER CARAVAN" An integrated program that promotes the inclusion and empowerment of people with disabilities
The "Summer Caravan," the summer center activities of Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services (SCHS), came to an end in a happy and colorful manner. The theme of the center, which took place from July 13 to July 30, 2026, was "Let's weave a summer of creativity in an environment that embraces talents and provides spaces for excellence and innovation." Her Excellency Mrs. Mona Abdul Karim Al Yafei, Director General of SCHS, was present at the concluding ceremony.
The center was established with the goal of giving individuals with disabilities access to an integrated educational and recreational setting, integrating skill development, encouraging social integration, and making the most of summer vacation time for participants and their families.
The center, which SCHS has organized since 1986, is founded on a set of objectives that aim to make a positive and long-lasting impact on the lives of the participants. These objectives include, but are not limited to, developing independence and everyday life skills, boosting self-confidence and self-esteem, supporting mental and emotional health, achieving a higher level of social integration, training participants on real-life situations, investing the summer vacation in a productive and purposeful way, lowering social isolation, encouraging interaction, improving adaptive behaviors, increasing physical and health fitness, supporting families and easing psychological pressures on them, and strengthening the participants' sense of acceptance.
The summer center, which had 49 participants with disabilities this year and 18 staff members and 6 volunteers, stood out for broadening the scope of community integration by allowing its students to participate in joint activities with students from other summer centers who are people without disabilities. This helped to raise community awareness and paved the way for their wider integration in future summer programs and activities organized by various institutions. In addition to planning several excursions that enhanced the participants' experiences and provided them with more chances to engage and learn, the center also observed collaboration with new institutions.
A Safe and Stimulating Educational and Recreational Environment
Her Excellency Professor Mona Abdul Karim Al Yafei affirmed that the summer center “Summer Caravan” embodies SCHS’s vision of empowering people with disabilities and enhancing their quality of life, by providing a safe and stimulating educational and recreational environment that allows them to discover their abilities, develop their skills, and enhance their independence and self-confidence.
"At SCHS, we believe that summer vacation presents a genuine opportunity to invest in the potential of people with disabilities," she stated. In order to strengthen their right to full and active involvement in society, we are dedicated to creating top-notch programs based on experiential learning, increasing chances for social engagement, and forming alliances with numerous organizations. The yearly improvement in the abilities, contentment, and involvement of our participants validates the effectiveness of this strategy and inspires us to keep refining our programs to conform to best practices and satisfy the requirements and goals of their families.
In order to guaranty the provision of more comprehensive and varied services, the center's objectives and programs are continuously changing to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities. This is done by forming partnerships with various organizations and entities, adding new programs, activities, and trips, and accepting a variety of disability types.
Strengthening Cooperation with Community Institutions
The center's main message is to highlight the right of individuals with disabilities to have a fun and fulfilling summer by encouraging collaboration with different institutions, involving them in events and activities, and making those institutions' facilities accessible for tours and excursions. This helps raise community awareness of the abilities of people with disabilities and emphasizes the significance of including them in initiatives and programs targeted at children, while stressing the need to assign suitable seats and opportunities for them in various community activities.
The summer program this year featured a wide variety of events and seminars, such as visits to museums and entertainment sites, cooking classes, physical sports, art classes, and other initiatives to foster social interaction and skill development.
To ensure that the activities are suitable for different types of disabilities and ages, the center relied on diversifying programs and trips to meet the needs of all participants, in addition to appointing supervisors with experience in dealing with different cases, to provide the necessary support and ensure everyone’s active and safe participation.
A Rich and Inspiring Experience for the Participants
A number of participants with disabilities expressed their happiness at participating in the "Summer Caravan" program. They stressed that the program provided them with an opportunity to learn new skills, make friends, and have diverse experiences through workshops, trips, and sports and artistic activities. They noted that the positive atmosphere and continuous encouragement from supervisors and volunteers boosted their self-confidence and encouraged them to participate and interact more, expressing their eagerness to participate in future sessions.
Every year, the center's staff observes that participants gain new skills by the end of the program, in addition to the center's significant positive psychological impact because of its enjoyable atmosphere and enriching experiences that improve participants' happiness and quality of life.
Pivotal Role Of The Family
In addition to some parents volunteering for various activities and the closing ceremony, which strengthens the spirit of partnership between the center and the families, the family plays a crucial role in the success of the center's experience through their dedication to the children's attendance at events and encouragement to participate.
In addition to working with a number of organizations to implement actual integration programs, such as collaboration with the Housing Department during its summer camp "Engineer of the Future," which improved opportunities for positive interaction between students with disabilities and their peers without disabilities, the center also helped to promote the integration of people with disabilities into society by introducing them to various institutions through joint trips and activities.
Volunteers are one of the most important elements of the center’s success, as they contribute to enriching its programs by employing their diverse skills and experiences. They come from different cultures and age groups and hold multiple university degrees, which positively impacts the quality of the activities provided. The volunteering experience also represents an important opportunity for them to learn more deeply about different disabilities and to acquire best practices in dealing with people with disabilities.
A Humanitarian And Professional Hub For Volunteers
The volunteers participating in the program confirmed that their experience in the “Summer Caravan” was a rich humanitarian and professional milestone, which allowed them to get to know more deeply the abilities and potential of people with disabilities, and contributed to developing their skills in communication, teamwork and taking responsibility. They noted that what they witnessed from the participants’ interaction and enthusiasm was a great motivation to continue volunteering and contributing to community initiatives aimed at promoting inclusion and empowerment and spreading a culture of accepting diversity and difference.
The managers of the center stress that ongoing collaboration with local institutions and organizations is essential to the success of such projects. This will guaranty the growth of programs and activities and have a larger influence on the integration and empowerment of individuals with disabilities.
Within the framework of this cooperation, the Sharjah Driving Institute and Emirates Industrial Cities Company participated in supporting and implementing a number of the center’s events and workshops, in addition to cooperation with the Sharjah Museums Authority, the Housing Department, and the Al Nahda Women’s Association, reflecting the importance of community partnership in the success of initiatives aimed at people with disabilities and enhancing their active presence in society.