Since its inception in November 1998, Care Society has remained true to its cause of addressing the disability issues in the Maldives and continues working towards providing equal opportunities for people with disabilities (PWDs) and working towards achieving an inclusive society.
As disability is an area that requires support, commitment, and involvement directly from all members of the community, we have been working towards educating and creating awareness among the general public. Our team is extremely passionate about the positive contribution PWDs can make to the community if given the proper support and opportunities by all community sectors, NGOs, public, private sector, and government authorities.
So far numerous programs, as well as projects have been carried out working towards our mission, and one of the most significant initiatives is the opening of Care Development Center (CDC) which is a rehabilitation center operating under Care Society for the past 18 years. The main purpose of CDC is to provide rehabilitation services to PWDs enrolled at the center. CDC is now registered as a school effective from 13th March 2012, under the Ministry of Education with students enrolled from 0 to 35 years. Care Society has a total of over 700 registered cases of PWDs and CDC assists children and adults to develop their abilities in a variety of skills like social, self-help, communication, motor skills, academic skills and behavior modification.
Additionally, Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) program is another initiative incepted by us, to extend our services to the atolls and islands as most of the services required for PWDs are still centralized in Male’. For us to achieve an inclusive society, where people with disabilities are accepted as equal citizens, it is vital to collaborate with different stakeholders of the community. Furthermore, for Care Society, like any other NGO, the biggest challenge we face is sustaining and catering to the growing demand due to financial limitations. Hence, in this regard, we are reaching out to stakeholders from all sectors, to explore potential collaboration in terms of program, fund raising activity or provision of any financial assistance (attached is our proposal for the same). We believe that involvement from all stakeholders will greatly enhance our efforts and provide additional opportunities for individuals with disabilities.