His Excellency Dr. Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Community Development (DCD), was briefed on the quality of provided services and programs, future plans for the beneficiaries, and the completed projects that have been achieved by entities affiliated to DCD. He met with the beneficiaries and discussed ways to develop these services and their satisfaction with their quality while listening directly to their comments based on their experience, to ensure continuous improvement by developing work mechanisms and initiatives to support the social sector system.
His Excellency visited each of Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority (ADSSA), Abu Dhabi Center for Sheltering and Humanitarian Care (Ewa'a), and Authority of Social Contribution - Ma'an, as part of the "Leaders in the Field" initiative, which aims to enhance communication between leaders and beneficiaries of services. He was accompanied by His Excellency Eng. Hamad Ali Al Dhaheri, Undersecretary of the DCD, and His Excellency Sultan Al Mutawa Al Dhaheri, Executive Director of the Community Engagement and Sports Sector. They were welcomed by Her Excellency Salama Al Ameemi, Director General of the Authority of Social Contribution - Ma'an, His Excellency Abdulla Humaid Al Ameri, Acting Director General of the Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority (ADSSA), and Her Excellency Sarah Ibrahim Shuhail, General Manager of the Abu Dhabi Center for Sheltering and Humanitarian Care (Ewa'a), in the presence of a number of officials and stakeholders.
His Excellency the Chairman of the DCD praised the development of the entities’ work and their distinguished efforts, which had an evident impact and contributed to the achievement of the vision of the DCD in providing a decent life for all members of society. He stressed that the affiliated entities are working side by side with the DCD through the integration of their systems and common goals with the social sector plan, hence reflecting efforts in creating a distinguished environment that enhances the quality of life of the community.
On her part, Her Excellency Salama Al Ameemi, Director General of the Authority of Social Contribution - Ma'an, appreciated His Excellency's visit and the support provided by the DCD to achieve the common goals and strategic objectives of the wise leadership, stressing that the UAE has presented a unique model worldwide that places the human being as the focal point for comprehensive development and growth plans.
She added: “During the visit, the Authority’s most important programs and achievements made by adopting social innovation and activating community participation were reviewed. The Authority launched 14 new programs, including the social contributions platform and its organ donation support campaign, the orphan support campaign, and Ma’an grants program. These strategic initiatives reflect the work of the Authority in finding innovative solutions to the pressing social challenges facing society. Also, 30 social institutions were launched under the Ma'an Social Incubator Program that provides innovative services that focus on issues of people of determination, activate their role, and enhance family cohesion and mental health. Through the social accelerator program, the Authority has provided the opportunity for five social institutions to support and develop their services in promoting mental health in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.”
She said: “In response to the exceptional circumstances resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, we launched the Together We Are Good program, which came in line with the national efforts in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to face health and economic challenges. The program embodied community generosity by collecting nearly AED 1 billion in financial and in-kind contributions which have been used to support more than 400,000 affected people.” She stressed that “the Authority is committed to following the path of excellence during 2021, by working in coordination with the DCD and the social sector to develop innovative and sustainable solutions to social challenges. We will continue to work according to our strategies to create a positive social impact that reflects on the life of Abu Dhabi society.”
For his part, His Excellency Abdulla Humaid Al Ameri, Acting Director General of the Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority (ADSSA), appreciated the visit of His Excellency to the headquarters of the Authority. He pointed out that the visit included a meeting with a group of heads of families benefiting from the Abu Dhabi Social Support Program, which is considered one of the most important programs that provide support to Emirati families with limited income in the Emirate. They shared their experience with the program and the opportunities that were provided to them, in addition to discussing the challenges they face and the developmental suggestions for the program's work plan.
Al Ameri stressed that the Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority undertakes the responsibility of joint work with the DCD in order to provide a decent life for Emirati families with limited income by providing temporary financial support to empower them to achieve financial independence and activate their positive participation in society.
Her Excellency Sarah Ibrahim Shuhail, General Manager of the Abu Dhabi Center for Sheltering and Humanitarian Care (Ewa'a) welcomed the visit of His Excellency. She highlighted the DCD's role in supporting the Ewa’a Centre by developing the work system in line with the new tasks of the Centre, such as providing legal, psychological, and social advice of international quality. She explained that, during the visit, the light was shed on integrating cultural and societal factors that require studying the nature of the family relationship and formulating the required consultations that are complemented by empowering cases through empowerment programs of various types. Appropriate rehabilitation programs for each case were reviewed, and ways of helping victims of violence during police examination, public prosecution investigations, various stages of litigation, and other services provided by the Centre in line with the general strategic objectives of the social sector in Abu Dhabi.