Sharjah Humanitarian City gets state-of-the-art new home after Dh500m revamp

Increased demand has meant that a social services centre offering a lifeline to families in Sharjah is moving to new Dh500 million headquarters.

The new home of Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services is on Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road.

The new centre, covering an area of 100,000 square metres, starts a new chapter for SCHS, which operates more than 10 schools, centres, nurseries and departments.

Construction began in November 2019 and the move is expected to be completed in the coming weeks. Among the first parts to be built was the management department, followed by Al Wafa School for Capacity Development and the Autism Centre.

This was followed by the Early Intervention Centre and Al Amal School for the Deaf, the Centre for Development and Empowerment, an audiology centre, a theatre and other support centres providing diverse services.

“The decision to transition to a new headquarters was conceived nearly a decade ago, reflecting our commitment to expanding the scope of our services,” said Mona Al Yafei, director of SCHS.

This move is a response to the growing demand for the city’s services and the increase in registration requests from new students eager to join its community, she said.

“There is the pressing issue of long waiting lists, particularly for individuals with autism,” Ms Al Yafei added.

“The waiting list for the Early Intervention Centre alone features hundreds of names underscoring the urgent need for expanded capacity.”

The move happened after extensive consultations aimed at ensuring the future needs of the city were provided for, she said.

“We engaged with each department and centre head to assess the workload and anticipate growth over the next decade,” said Ms Al Yafei.

“An example of this is how our Early Intervention Centre head undertook a year-long study in the US to enhance his skills.”

The number of classes available at the centre’s Al Wafa School will increase from 20 to 42, to address the high demand for places.

She also pointed to the popularity of of the Autism Centre, which reached its 100-place capacity more quickly than expected.

“Despite our efforts, the city can’t accommodate all cases, especially with the recent rise in disabilities,” she said.

“The rise in disability cases can be attributed to a variety of factors, including wars, traffic accidents and domestic accidents like falls or drownings, which affect children as young as two or three years old, resulting in what we refer to as acquired disabilities.”

SCHS has more than 740 staff, including 69 disabled employees who have graduated from its programmes.

Another issue many families face is not being able to afford the care needed for loved ones.

That is why SCHS sets a limit on what it charges, including a Dh30,000 cap on services for those with autism.

“The figure was decided on after a comparative study with other centres,” said Ms Al Yafei.

Close to 80 per cent of parents face financial challenges in affording these services, she said.

“For that reason, SCHS provides support through donations and Zakat funds to cover costs either fully or partially,” said Ms Al Yafei.

The move happened after extensive consultations aimed at ensuring the city’s future needs are provided for