Blind aid worker receives human rights award

CBM partner Rima Canawati received the 'International Service Human Rights Award for the Defence of the Human Rights of Disabled People' earlier in the month.

Rima lost her own sight completely in her late teenage years, and has risen to the top of her profession where she is now the Director of Programme Development at the Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation (BASR), West Bank.

The project has been supported for the last 25 years by CBM, a Christian charity supporting blind people internationally.

CBM UK has just implemented an emergency programme with BASR in Gaza and the West Bank with Scottish Government funding.

Ms Canawati said: "CBM staff I deal with are my role models in promoting inclusive development" - work that includes people with any kind of disability.

The Kuwait-born development worker has served in the disability field for 16 years. She supervises the work of five day care centres located in different villages and refugee camps in Bethlehem. The centres provide children with rehabilitation and special education in the areas of self help skills and behavioural skills.

Ms Canawati also established a programme to meet the needs of traumatised, disabled and abused children and their families.

Laura Townsend, CBM UK's Overseas Programmes Officer, said: "Inclusive Development means making sure everyone is included in development, regardless of their gender, sex, disability or religion."