A Brand New Joy Autism center of Excellence building construction is to be commenced soon.
In connection to this, a corner stone laying ceremony was held on 23rd of March this year. During this event, many pertinent stakeholders, parents, donors and distinguished guests including high government officials took part in this significant ceremony. His Excellency Mr. Abdulfatah Abdullahi, Minister of F.D.R.E. Labour and Social Affairs, was the guest of honour and later the day at the event he unveiled the corner-stone for the planned Joy Autism Center of Excellence building construction.
The center has been designed to be one of a kind not only in Ethiopia, but in the whole continent of Africa and surely be a world class in terms of its infrastructure and therapies and trainings to be rendered within.
This State-of-the-art Center of Excellence is meant to serve as a place where children with autism are rehabilitated and provided with varieties of holistic therapeutic services. The therapeutic and training services to be rendered will target maximizing the potentials of children enrolled. Making the center of excellence an operational researches and specialized medical care facility is also an integral part of the plan; besides serving as an international conference center. The center gives priority in the utilization of indigenous knowledge that can be structured, developed and could also be shared to the international community.
The government of Ethiopia and the relevant sector offices at different structural levels have always been supportive and guiding the Foundations humanitarian undertakings throughout the past fifteen years. Such collaborative efforts have resulted in multifaceted achievements for the betterment of communities affected by Autism. The continued insistent and committed push for internal and external organizational developments and the direct engagement of the government, donor agencies, the private sector, concerned individuals and communities at different levels of organizational life triggered and effected this next level of intervention. The media especially holds a different level of appreciation and gratitude in our hearts as whatever we have been able to achieve, needed to be showcased and both the local and international media have immensely helped us in disseminating our messages across.
The Addis Ababa City Administration has delivered as promised, handed over to us 4624 m2 lease free plot of land to construct this center. The support to such an important initiative is not only from the direction of the government, the project has already attracted the interest of different local and international professionals in the field and the private sector to engage and make a difference in the lives of communities affected by Autism in the country.
As an asset for all Ethiopians, the realization of the center of excellence is definitely going to require the contributions and active involvement of all citizens. The late Prime Minister in his personal message to the foundation once said “Since a good society is perhaps best measured by how well it treats its most disadvantaged citizens, I call on Ethiopians, in and out of government, to show special care and concern to our children with autism”. We also call upon all concerned to show up and do their part for the realization of the center saying ‘Yagebagnal – It concerns me!’
Nia Foundation delightedly recalls the philanthropic and benevolent initiatives taken by our remarkable partners and donors in the past who believed in our work and its importance for the benefit of the under-served segments of the community affected by Autism. We show our gratitude on behalf of the Management & Staff of the Foundation, Parents, and our precious children with Autism!
