KUWAIT: Kuwait Finance House (KFH) has signed a partnership agreement, which is the first of its kind in the Kuwaiti banking sector, with the Kuwait Society for the Handicapped (KSH). This is in line with the bank's leadership in social responsibility and its great role in supporting and empowering people with special needs. The partnership undertakes various initiatives, including training a group of students with special needs in various departments in KFH.
KFH spares no effort in supporting the segment of people with special needs by contributing to their education, increasing their knowledge, and guiding them towards appropriate education and rehabilitation through training programs dedicated to them. That includes field visits to KFH branches and departments, and practical experiences to gain them experiences that would represent the first step on a career road and a crossing bridge to success in working life.
KFH is keen to select the appropriate training field for the abilities of students with special needs, taking into account their capabilities and individual differences in proportion to their abilities and inclinations, and to harness all possibilities for the success of this experience through assigning distinguished banking cadres to train the affiliates. Senior Manager Employee Engagement at KFH Sara Al-Salem said that these initiatives play a major role in enhancing employees' job engagement and loyalty to KFH employees due to its interest in this category, which represents an integral part of the community.
Salem explained that one of the most important objectives of KFH's partnership with KSH is to ensure the integration of these people with members of the community and qualify them to obtain training and development, which contributes to offering job opportunities that would provide them with a material income, therefore giving them a degree of psychological and social stability. In addition to the contribution of helping students with special needs to increase their ability to work and produce, and to show the energy of this segment and make it a productive element in the development of society.
She added that KFH supports KSH, which provides integrated care and services, including rehabilitation, psychological, social and educational services, within the framework of its pioneering role in social responsibility. Deputy Director General of the Kuwait Society for the Handicapped Baraa Al-Jenae said: "For 50 years, KSH has been providing integrated health care, educational and rehabilitation services for children with special needs of all nationalities, free of charge, and currently KSH is providing these services to nearly 500 of our children.
We are pleased to cooperate with KFH to train a group of students with special needs in various departments in KFH in pursuit of KSH's goals of providing care, education and innovative support that can enrich and achieve continuous positive change for the lives of the people we serve." He added that it has been noticed that there are increasing demand factors related to providing job opportunities for people with special needs, hence the idea of joint cooperation with KFH to enhance their training alongside their non-disabled peers, especially for those over the age of eighteen.
In addition to integrating people with special needs in all aspects of life through the implementation of partnership agreements related to people with special needs to obtain vocational training, and to provide employment opportunities in various fields in a manner that suits their inclinations and capabilities. Countries benefit from their contribution to the economy and development of the societies in which they live, train and work in order to achieve social justice and independence in life.
Proven track record
KFH has a proven track record of supporting people with special needs in various sports, cultural and scientific activities. KFH also participates in various conferences and events dedicated to this community segment, focusing on the care required for them and displaying their talents, abilities and skills.
In terms of banking, KFH provides the possibility to benefit from banking products and services for people with special needs and provides all means to ensure their access to banking services without incurring any additional fees or costs, and this includes allocating a special branch for them in each governorate, with adequate parking spaces, wheelchairs and other means necessary for customers with special needs.
KFH also provides at least one ATM in the branch that provides banking services for people with special needs, with easy access, and provides complete privacy for the customer through a glass room that opens with a card, and the use of headphones is available as well. KFH has specialized employees who are proficient in sign language to provide banking services to people with special needs within its keenness to include all segments of society in an optimal manner and in accordance with the highest standards of service quality.