20 centres for needy on way

from the Gulf Daily News

By GEOFFREY BEW

BAHRAIN plans to nearly triple the number of social development centres to help needy people by 2015, it emerged yesterday. Social Development Ministry assistant under-secretary Dr Badriya Al Jeeb said government officials want to raise the number from eight to 20 as part of goals to reach the deprived in every corner of the country.

She revealed the target would include six old people's homes, three centres for children, a homeless shelter and building for Non Government Organisations.

Dr Badriya said Bahrain already has centres for the elderly, disabled, families, the homeless and women and children offering social, psychological and financial support and the new facilities aimed to build on that.

"We are trying to make development centres more widespread for women, children and the elderly," she told the GDN.

"We want to have 20 centres in all of Bahrain."

Dr Badriya was speaking on the sidelines of the UN Economic and Social Council (Ecosoc) annual ministerial review's regional preparatory meeting on Sustainable Urbanisation.

Government delegations from across the Middle East attended the two-day event, which concluded at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa yesterday.

Participants debated access to land and housing, urban planning, finance and Islamic banking during the meeting, held under the patronage of the Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.

A report containing recommendations from the event will be drawn up in the next few weeks and will serve as input to the Ecosoc's annual meeting in New York next month.

Dr Badriya said the "Family Bank", which it is hoped to be up and running by the end of the year, would provide further opportunities to help women and children start businesses.

It will be based on a community development bank established by Bangladeshi Nobel Laureate Professor Mohammad Yunus, which has helped more than seven million people since 1976.