Organization Structure
White Hearts Center features a collaborative organizational structure with onsite management by Abdullah Mohammed in Idlib, operational supervision provided by SHARE in Istanbul, and managerial and advisory oversight provided by SAMS and Friends of White Hearts Center in the United States. Idlib staff includes:
- Project manager
- Assistant manager
- Project coordinator
- Media officer
- Physiotherapist
- Psychotherapist
- Speech therapist
- Teachers (currently 5 on staff)
- Cleaning services employee
Summary of Services
White Hearts Center was established in 2020 to provide psychological and educational care to children with Down syndrome in Idlib, Syria. Its mission is to help integrate these children with special needs into Syrian society and enroll them with their peers in schools. White Hearts Center also seeks to increase the interest and awareness of the local community in the greatness of these children, through education, advocacy, and respect of their inherent human rights. White Hearts Center’s infrastructure is currently equipped with minimum resources for logistical and technical support of the therapeutic work required for development of skills and capabilities of these special needs children. Additional human, equipment, and financial resources are greatly needed, to further enhance and optimize the children’s interaction and participation in society.
White Hearts Center services currently include:
- Educational and learning services through interactive educational programs and systems that ensure children’s active participation and interaction, to enhance their abilities and develop their skills.
- Physical rehabilitation through daily follow-up by a specialized staff, as the children require ongoing therapy to enhance their physical motion and balance.
- Social and psychological support for children and their families, as well as providing involvement in community activities. This helps in their integration with other groups in society, and reduces their shyness, anxiety, and embarrassment. As they are a very sensitive group of children, they also need education in a special way that begins with teaching basic life skills and using matching and intelligence games.
Speech therapy services, because children with Down syndrome face difficulties and challenges speaking fluently. They cannot use language easily to express themselves and their needs, so WHC provides these services to enable them to improve their speaking skills and interact effectively with others.
Profile of the Children We Serve
White Hearts Center currently provides various services to 60 children with Down syndrome, ranging in age from 3 to 17 years, representing 25 males and 35 females. WHC targets children from the areas of Idlib, Maarat, and Maasrin.
The SHARE Foundation, with cooperation from Jusoor Center for Strategic Studies, conducted a survey in March 2023 to study children with Down syndrome in north Syria, to compile and assess the statistics and status of children with Down syndrome. A result shows that there are 807 children with Down syndrome who do not have the benefits of services available at White Hearts Center. Out of the 807, 388 are females and 419 are males, less than 18 years old. Click here to view the results of the survey of children with Down syndrome within the opposition areas in Idlib and western Aleppo.
White Hearts Center is the only organization established to support and empower this marginalized and previously forgotten group of children with Down syndrome in northwestern Syria. WHC is committed to expanding its outreach and operations to serve many more than 60 children soon. To do so, we need your help, please.