There are several charitable institutions in Riyadh that cater to different causes and thanks to them, many illnesses such as Cancer, Down Syndrome and other physical disabilities are given the awareness and support that they deserve. The Charitable Society of Autism Families – Saudi Arabia is one of the institutions that was recently brought to my attention, thanks to the Charity Event hosted by Riyadh Marriott Hotel last Monday.
The senior management team of Marriott coordinated with the society founded by Princess Sameera Bint Abdullah Al Faisel Al Farhan AlSaoud in order to help support the children and families facing issues with autism. One of Princess Sameera’s children had autism and this inspired her to create the society to help other families cope with the challenges they face. In Saudi Arabia, 6 out of 1000 children have autism and with a population of more than 2o million Saudis, there’s a significant number of families who deal with this situation on a daily basis and they need more information and more support.
I arrived at the hotel and found several Saudi families meeting with the staff who expressed great care and assistance to the children with autism. A special dinner was prepared in their honor and allowed the families to interact with one another, sharing their challenges and hopes for their children. Mr. Abdul Mohsin, one of the representatives of the society also went around and greeted the guests from the media and was generous in answering any questions we had. It turns out, the progress of getting autism the attention and support that it deserves in Saudi Arabia has been steadily increasing trough the years but the Society feels that there is still more that can be done.
Mr. Muin Serhan, the General Manager of Riyadh Marriott Hotel said, “The organizing of this charity event displays our concern and love for children all over the world, and our care for them is a reflection of the core values that promotes love and trust.”
It was humbling to see all the children and their families that night and I can only hope that they will all be able to overcome the obstacles that they face everyday. Thanks to Riyadh Marriott Hotel for hosting such an event especially on the last few days of the holy month of Ramadan.
To know more about the Charitable Society of Autism Families, visit: http://charitablesocietyforautismfamilies.org
