People who are deaf or hard of hearing are to benefit from a new partnership between Islamic Relief Worldwide and DeafKidz International, which was formalised last week.
A delegation from DeafKidz joined Islamic Relief at its headquarters in Birmingham, UK, to sign a memorandum of understanding.
The formal agreement paves the way for collaboration between Islamic Relief and DeafKidz, which helps D/deaf children and adults, to reach those most at risk of being left behind.
Islamic Relief Worldwide’s Chief Executive Officer, Naser Haghamed, said: “This an important event for us demonstrating our commitment of the Global Disability agenda to ensure no one is left behind. This partnership is the beginning of our long term commitment to improve the wellbeing of people with disabilities by working with specialist organisations such as DeafKidz.”
The founder and CEO of DeafKidz International, Steve Crump, said: “We’re really delighted to be working with Islamic Relief Worldwide – this is an important moment for us as we work together to respond to the safeguarding and protection needs of deaf children worldwide.
“This is an example of demonstrable best practice to see a disability organisation working in partnership with a proven practitioner like Islamic Relief.”
The charities will work together to advocate for the rights of deaf and hard of hearing children and adults, and to tackle gender based violence faced by D/deaf children and adults. Potential point projects are being explored.
Islamic Relief is working to ensure programmes serve people with disabilities by ensuring that strategies and policies prioritise disability inclusion, piloting a new approach to programme design and implementation, and training staff on protection and inclusion.