ABU DHABI, Broadcasting News Corporation : Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination (ZHO) received a delegation from Siemens to learn about ZHO’s experience in caring for and rehabilitating people of determination. The aim was to discuss the exchange of experiences, deepen bilateral cooperation and become acquainted with all the services provided by the ZHO regarding educational and rehabilitation services and mental and social healthcare. The delegation was received by Abdullah Abdul Ali Al Humaidan, ZHO’s Secretary-General, and a number of its senior officials. On the sidelines of the visit, the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the training and employment of ZHO’s students at the company’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi. ZHO’s SG, Abdullah Abdul Ali Al Humaidan and Helmut von Struve, Siemens CEO in the UAE and the Middle East, signed the MoU, in the presence of members of the visiting delegation and several ZHO leaders. Under the MoU, Siemens will provide suitable job opportunities at one of its companies operating in Abu Dhabi for the ZHO-nominated students of determination. The ZHO will train and qualify cadres of various levels and managers of Siemens on how to interact and work with people of determination in general, especially nominated students, to create the appropriate environment for the training programme’s success. Siemens will develop and conduct a training plan for people of determination and organise awareness workshops or in-person and virtual training courses for ZHO’s members within the company’s jurisdiction. Al Humaidan welcomed the visiting delegation and the signing of the memo, commending this positive step by Siemens for supporting the ZHO, boosting its efforts to provide advanced services for people of determination, investing its resources and energies in a positive environment to empower them both educationally, functionally, culturally and socially.
Helmut von Struve, said, “Siemens is proud of this partnership with ZHO and creation of opportunities for people of determination that enrich their lives and society in the UAE. Our company has recognised, for quite some time, the benefits of having a diverse workforce. We are committed to building a diverse workplace where different skills, abilities and ideas are valued. This agreement with the ZHO, which is part of the UAE’s efforts to support people of determination in public life, serves as an important step towards achieving our goal.” The visit of the Siemens delegation started at ZHO’s centre in the Bahia region, which has a host of vocational rehabilitation workshops. These include a specialised workshop for the manufacture of the Bee-brand chocolate by people of determination and another workshop specialising in 3D-printing products as the first workshop of its kind in the world, where seven people of determination work using the HP Jet Fusion 4200 series printer to produce medical stents for limbs by printing them with a 3D printer. The delegation visited the “Blooming Bee Flowers” project, the flower workshop, one of ZHO’s workshops at the Agricultural and Vocational Rehabilitation Department that was developed in 2019 to join ZHO’s projects. A trade licence was issued to them in the name of the Bee. Ten female students of determination work on this project, supporting the female trainees of determination. The delegation also visited a tailoring workshop for students of determination, one of the pioneering projects providing job opportunities for people of determination with mental challenges based on rehabilitation in conformity with the requirements of the labour market. The workshop was launched due to strategic cooperation between the ZHO and Al Masaood Prestige Company, to reinforce production of people of determination and enhance the skills of students that qualify them for employment. During the visit to ZHO’s headquarters in the Mafraq, members of the delegation visited “The Bee Café” to learn about the first project of its kind in the UAE. Six people of determination run the Bee Café. It is not limited to providing specialised coffee, but also technical training to qualify people of determination to obtain an internationally accredited certification in the coffee industry. It is an international training centre for people of determination. Members of the delegation listened to a brief presentation accompanied by illustrative slides on ZHO’s strategic projects, plans and programmes and the services it provides to citizens and residents of determination in Abu Dhabi. The Siemens delegation learnt about the services of ZHO’s Healthcare Department by visiting the “Smart Rehabilitation Laboratory”, the first integrated laboratory in the Middle East for therapy and rehabilitation at ZHO’s headquarters. The laboratory contains eleven leading therapeutic devices, among the latest global technologies in therapy that can be controlled by computer and robotic support devices. The visit included the Therapeutic Pool, which is one of the most advanced therapy facilities in the UAE. It provides aquatic therapy services for ZHO’s people of determination of all ages and disabilities. It is one of the most popular therapy programmes for children of determination. Members of the delegation visited the Riding Therapy Centre, which was equipped in accordance with European standards for this type of therapy. It provides services for people of determination through riding training and therapy. It receives various cases from inside and outside ZHO. It also provides physiotherapy services by riding (main service), and sensory therapy by dealing with pets and plants, in addition to riding. The Siemens delegation included Helmut von Struve, Franco Atassi, CEO of Smart Infrastructure at Siemens Middle East, and Wolfgang Egger, CFO of Siemens in the UAE. NEWS COLLECTED FROM EMIRATES NEWS AGENCY – WAM.