KUWAIT, July 13: A summer work program to help integrate young disabled people into mainstream society will see a number of youths with various disabilities working in two of Kuwaiti's Starbucks outlets, in the Salhiya Complex and Kaifan, this summer.

The Kuwaiti Society for Parents of the Disabled, which organized the employment program, also hopes that it will help the young disabled people involved to gain confidence and overcome their shyness.Four disabled youths will be participating in the program, with two volunteers on hand to help them at all times. For one of the young disabled people taking part, 24-year-old Hamadi, who'll be working at the Kaifan Starbucks along with 23-year-old Noura, with both being assisted by volunteer mentor Mariam Abdullah, this will be her very first job.

Meanwhile, two young disabled men will be participating in the program at the Salhiya Complex, also helped whenever needed by a volunteer. The young people will all be working between Sunday and Wednesday for three hours per day, from 10:00AM till 1:00PM.

Hana Al-Sanae, a board member of the Kuwait Society for Parents of the Disabled and a supervisor of the summer work program, told the Kuwait Times that this is not the first year the society has run a work program of this kind. "The summer program's been running for three years now, but this year the places the participants are working at have been changed to Starbucks outlets," she explained. "Previously we were running the summer work program with Costa Coffee.

Al-Sanae said that some of the participants are so enthusiastic about the work program that, unlike most employees, they've actually requested that their work hours be increased: "The boys who work in Starbucks are exceeding the stated time because they love being in Starbucks, serving people and chatting with them all the time," she revealed, adding, "The Starbucks management team have been really supportive to them all along.

She also revealed that the growing popularity of the work program among the parents of young people with disabilities meant that the society was unable to offer placements to the majority of applicants, who this year numbered 35. "Unfortunately we only had six placements this year, although I hoped we could increase the number," she said. "This is what the company offered us though, and the parents really want to see their kids integrated into mainstream Kuwaiti society since this is what disabled people n
eed, especially those aged over 18. Actually they need this all the time, not just in summer, because it lets them communicate with people and gives them more confidence to act normally without being shy.

Mariam Habib, the volunteer mentor working with Hamadi and Noura at the Kaifan Starbucks, explained that she had been working voluntarily with the society for three months now. "I'd heard about the program offered by the society and I was really enthusiastic about applying for this type of voluntary work because I've dealt with cases like this," she told the Kuwait Times, explaining that one of her uncles is disabled person.

I hope I'll be good enough to be of help to them," she said of the two young women she'll be mentoring. "In my view, I think programs like this are good for disabled people because they allow them to interact with mainstream society and give them more self-esteem.

She said that Noura and Hamadi have already benefited from the program: "The girls were really shy on their first day, but after that they started welcoming people coming into the cafe," she revealed. "Some will sit with the girls and chat with them. Customers interact with them and treat them really well.

Noura, who has mild learning disabilities and Hamadi, who has a minor mental disability, both voiced great enthusiasm for the program. "I'd like to work every day and have more hours here," said Noura, who also took part in the program in previous years. "I prefer working here to sitting at home doing nothing. My family and the organization supported me in taking part in the program." For Hamadi, her very first job is proving to be a wonderful experience: "It's my first time to work and my family's reallyhappy that I'm working," she said. "I love Starbucks and I hope I'll be able to work with them every year.

Source: http://www.kuwaittimes.net