Saturdays and Sundays are probably better dubbed fun days at the Special Needs Future Development Center in Dubai, which is a stone’s throw from the hustle and bustle of Karama’s Al Kuwait Street. Here, students with conditions ranging from mild autism to Down syndrome gather around tables of colourful paper, beads and pots of paints to make arts and crafts.
“I’m making loom band rings,” says 19-year-old Indian student Michelle Wilson. “I went onto YouTube to find the latest designs and these will be in the shape of a flower in my favourite colours of pink and white.”
Wilson – who has been attending SNF daily for six months – is enthusiastic about the flexible, fashion-forward accessories, not least because her pieces will make a financial return.
“I’ll sell them at a bazaar when they are finished,” she says proudly. “I now make bracelets, necklaces and anklets, too. It didn’t take me long to learn how, maybe just a minute or two.”
Arts and crafts have become something of a cottage industry for SNF, with everything from glitter-rimmed candle holders to ornate, paper gift boxes and calendars for sale. With the craftsmanship of students continuing to improve and the expansion of the product range, increasing numbers of UAE-based companies are placing orders for the wares.
Shipping company Wan Hai Lines recently placed a bulk order for handmade greetings cards and personalised mugs to commemorate its 50th anniversary, while HR company Dulsco commissioned canvases from the students, not dissimilar to those worked on by 19-year-old Riya George from India.
“I’m doing a painting of this,” says George, pointing to a tablet displaying an image of a robin redbreast perched on a flowering stem. “The teachers made me interested in art when I first came here. They are very nice and are now my friends. I come here every day and like all the activities we do, I can’t choose a favourite one.”
George’s replica of the nature scene is done with a steady hand and sympathetic eye, skills nurtured by the 22 dedicated teachers and more than 1,500 members of the public who give their time to SNF.
One such volunteer is Manisha Patel, a personal assistant from the law firm Clifford Chance, who sits at a table helping students cut bookmarks from a template. The 31-year-old says that while her company raises money for SNF, the decision to spend time on-site in Karama, as part of the firm’s corporate social-responsibility programme, was left entirely up to employees.
“It’s something I always wanted to do back home in the UK but didn’t have the opportunity. So when my company here offered me that chance, I grabbed it,” she says. “I’m a newbie and today is my first day, but I’ll try to come back here at least twice a month.”
A little time spent with SNF’s students would appear to go a very long way judging from the students’ broad smiles and eagerness to learn techniques from staff members old and new.
Patel says the experience is equally rewarding for volunteers and recommends the process to those able to spare a few hours.
“At the end of the day, I just feel that it’s really nice to be able to give something back,” she says.
rduane@thenational.ae
SNF star buys
• Assorted jewellery, earrings, bracelets and rings from Dh15 to Dh40
• Gift boxes, greetings cards, handmade paper and tags from Dh5
• Fridge magnets from Dh15
• Tea-light holders from Dh5 to Dh10
• Stretched canvas paintings from Dh400
