SCHS CELEBRATES THE GRADUATES OF "MASARAT" CENTER
Her Excellency Sheikha Jameela bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services (SCHS), Her Excellency Mrs. Mona Abdul Karim Al Yafei, Director General of SCHS, and Her Excellency Maisa Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of the Sharjah Museums Authority, arranged, in collaboration with SCHS, a graduation ceremony for students of the "Let's Live Together" program at the Sharjah Archaeology Museum in honor of their accomplishments in the "Manufacturing Chimneys Using White Cement" project.
The ceremony marked the end of roughly three months of intense practical training conducted as part of a qualitative partnership between SCHS and the authority. Ms. Reem Al-Junaibi spearheaded the project, which aimed to empower and qualify graduates professionally and equip them with useful skills that they could use in the workforce.
Selection and Evaluation of Participants
The project, in its first phase, witnessed a coordination meeting with the employment department at Masarat Center, during which 14 graduates from last year’s batch and new graduates were selected for evaluation. Based on the results of the evaluation conducted by the museums team, 9 graduates were selected to participate in the practical workshops, with 5 graduates from last year and 4 graduates from this year.
Practical Training and Community Integration Opportunities
Two days a week (Monday and Wednesday) were allocated for attending practical workshops on chimney making, with the Museums Department providing all the necessary materials for implementation, while also giving parents the opportunity to participate in the workshops, thus enhancing the interactive and supportive aspect for the children.
The museums also collaborated with the “Ruwwad” platform to support projects of people with disabilities and talented individuals. Graduates were given the opportunity to register on the platform to support their future projects. In the next stage, the products will be evaluated, and successful projects will be selected to be displayed on an electronic sales platform, so that each graduate will receive a special page to display their production, with direct support from families.
Closing and Motivational Workshops
As part of the program, a closing workshop was held on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 to showcase the graduates’ products inside the museum, followed by an encouraging workshop on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 that brought together parents with the graduates and the employment department, with the aim of promoting family and community support and encouraging continuity in production.
Graduation Ceremony Activities
The graduation ceremony included displaying of a documentary film that documented the work stages and products completed by the graduates during the training period, in addition to the distribution of certificates of appreciation, and organizing a tour of the Museum of Antiquities' sales store to display the products of the affiliates.
Enhancing Economic Independence
The director of the Masarat Center for Development and Empowerment, Ms. Maryam Bin Sandal, expressed her delight at the graduation of a distinguished group of the center's students and graduates who finished an excellent training program in the field of incense making. The program's goals are to empower people with disabilities, increase their economic independence, and open new doors for them in terms of employment and production.
She said, “At Masarat Center, we believe that true empowerment begins with giving people with disabilities the opportunity to discover their abilities, develop their skills, and turn their passions into productive projects that contribute to enhancing their quality of life and their active participation in society.”
She expressed her sincere gratitude to the Sharjah Museums Authority and its Accessibility Programs, Content, and Museum Programs Department for their comprehensive support in ensuring the success of this program. She also thanked the students' families for their support and confidence in their children's abilities. She emphasized that these strategic partnerships represent a commendable model of institutional cooperation aimed at building a society that believes in every individual's right to a genuine opportunity for success and excellence.
Her Excellency Sheikha Jameela bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of SCHS Statement
In a statement during the ceremony, Her Excellency Sheikha Jameela bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of SCHS, affirmed that the graduates of "Masarat" represent a shining example of the creativity and achievement of people with disabilities. She commended the project, implemented in collaboration with the Sharjah Museums Authority, which successfully integrated practical training with actual production. She also expressed her appreciation for the ongoing support of projects, particularly in the field of entrepreneurship, and for training graduates in professions that will enable them to launch their own businesses in the future.
She said that these quality initiatives are not limited to qualification only, but open up real prospects towards professional empowerment and employment, through institutional partnerships that support building students’ capabilities and transforming their skills into marketable and sustainable products.
Her Excellency Maysa Saif Al Suwaidi Director General of Sharjah Museums Authority Statement
Her Excellency Maisa Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of Sharjah Museums Authority, affirmed that the “Let’s Live Together” initiative launched by the Authority embodies its firm commitment to its social and humanitarian role, and its keenness to employ museums as educational and cultural platforms that support empowerment and inclusion, in line with the vision of the Emirate of Sharjah to build a society that consolidates the values of equality and provides opportunities for all its members to participate, create and contribute effectively to community development.
Her Excellency said, “At Sharjah Museums Authority, we believe that true empowerment begins with giving individuals the opportunity to express their abilities and turn their skills into tangible achievements. From this standpoint, this initiative came to provide participants with an integrated practical experience that moves them from the learning stage to production and active contribution to society, through a specialized training program that contributed to developing their practical skills and enhancing their independence.”
She added, “We are proud of the qualitative partnership with Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services and Masarat Center for Development and Empowerment, which has resulted in presenting an inspiring model that reflects the importance of integrating institutional efforts in supporting people with disabilities and enhancing their economic and social independence, through quality programs that open up new horizons for creativity, work and production, and give them a real opportunity to display their products in Sharjah Museums stores and benefit from them.”
Her Excellency concluded her statement by affirming that the Authority will continue to develop its sustainable empowerment initiatives, and expand the scope of educational and applied programs that contribute to highlighting the capabilities of people with disabilities, and consolidate the role of museums as cultural and community institutions capable of making a positive and sustainable impact on society.
Positive Impact and Sustainable Empowerment
The attendees praised the positive results achieved by the program, most notably the development of manual and productive work skills among graduates, enhancing their independence and self-confidence, in addition to strengthening the role of the family in supporting the training process, and opening up future employment pathways through supporting platforms.
This project is an important step within the efforts of Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services in cooperation with partners to promote professional and social integration.