KUWAIT: IKEA the leading brand for life at home and the Kuwait Society for the Handicapped (KSH) a non-profit organization officially signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on creating employment opportunities for people with different abilities in Kuwait. The MoU signing ceremony took place at KSH head office in Sabahiya and was chaired by Sabeeka Saad Saqer Al Jasser, Chairman at KSH and Marino Maganto, CEO of IKEA Kuwait, Jordan, and Morocco in the presence of KSH board members and KSH Director Bara’a Al Jenae.

Among the distinguished guests in attendance were the new IKEA co-workers, their families and IKEA management team. In his speech at a press conference held alongside the signing ceremony, KSH Director Al Jenae welcomed the guests and emphasized on the importance of such initiatives in developing the Kuwaiti Society. “We welcome IKEA initiative for hiring People with Disabilities starting with IKEA the Warehouse.

We would like to express our gratitude to IKEA for their outstanding efforts in providing permanent employment contracts that ensure equal opportunities and rights for our students, and for creating a comfortable working environment that facilitates their work. To ensure the success of this initiative and achieve the best possible results, KSH provided extensive training to the new workers with disabilities and the IKEA staff who supervise them. The rehabilitation and education teams provided one-to-one training to ensure a smooth transition to the new work environment.

We truly appreciate IKEA’s commitment to promoting inclusivity and enabling People with Disabilities to participate in the workforce,” said Al Jenae. “At KSH, our mission is to improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities. We strive to uphold their rights, showcase their abilities, encourage their self-realization, and promote their independence to the best of their abilities. We achieve this by providing programs, projects, and high-quality services for individuals with disabilities, their families, and those concerned with their well-being.

Our work is guided by the relevant frameworks and systems. So, today’s collaboration with IKEA contributes to the inclusion of people with disabilities with other members of society,” explained Al Jenae. “At IKEA we believe that together we will make a lasting positive impact on people’s lives. Our cooperation with KSH comes from our belief and long-term commitment in giving equal and fair employment opportunities to everyone,” said Maganto.

During the event, IKEA and KSH celebrated the new hires and their graduation from their onboarding training program. “At IKEA we are committed to embracing all dimensions of human diversity and reflecting the demographics of the societies in which we operate. We actively work to prevent discrimination and ensure equality in opportunity and treatment. One important part is creating accessible and inclusive workplaces, where people can be themselves at work and everyone’s voice is heard. The MoU with KSH is a milestone to this commitment in Kuwait,” concluded Maganto.