Oasis Workshop for People with Special Needs, Beit SahourÂ
The Oasis Center, which is one of the development centers of HWC, was established in 1998. The center aims at integrating persons with mild and moderate disabilities in society through training them on vocational skills congruent to their abilities. This is because the center aims at increasing their self-confidence and independence. The center has contributed to the changing on the negative attitudes towards this segment of the society. In addition to increasing the awareness of members of the society about their abilities by promoting them as active and productive segment of the society if it has been provided with the suitable opportunity. This has been accomplished through organizing awareness activities in cooperation with the different local organizations including schools and universities.
Oasis Center believes that everyone has value, talent and a social role – whether with mental disabilities or not – to make it possible for them to contribute to society by creating an appropriate environment for each social group according to the circumstances and peculiarities. For this, the center works to give workers an opportunity to integrate into the community and the development of their spirits as part of the family in particular ad society general.
The center has increased the active relationships between members of the center and their families through organizing periodical meetings with the member’s parents and awareness raising workshops for them. This is to enhance the connection between the center and the member’s families and increasing their awareness on how to interact with people with disabilities. The center was able to increase the number of its members from 16 to 19, who are with mild and moderate disabilities through its successful relationship with institutions working with people with disabilities. At the professional level, one of the most significant activities of the center is organizing quality activities included the integration of people with disabilities in the society through establishing professional relationships with the local organizations of interest including Children’s Village in Bethlehem, Saint Joseph School and the Catholic School. Additionally, a new product line of fabric art was developed in cooperation with Sunbula organization in Jerusalem. Through this production line, the center has participated in the annual Sunbula Bazar. The demand for product of the Oasis was of significant this year compared with 201 3 as the products displayed matched market demand at the time.
It is worth noting that Beit Sahour municipality bought a value of NIS 15,000 products from the center, including 100 greeting cards which were distributed to official institutions and councils in celebration of the New Year, and 550 decorated ceramic plates distributed during celebration for the elderly in Beit Sahour. These accomplishments are as a result of efforts that have been made to market for the products through the organization of integration activities and galleries, which the center has participated at. In 2014, the Oasis center actively participated in the network of institutions representing people with disabilities in Bethlehem. The center has participated in all of the network’s activities and annual meetings. The center has strengthened its relationship with local organizations and connection through its membership in the network resulting in the provision of different services professionally with focus on the rights of people with disabilities.