May 10, 2013
Kingston, Ontario — Children and youth with disabilities in Bangladesh will have better access to education, health, employment, and community activities thanks to a partnership between the Harper Government and Queen's University. Today, Gord Brown, Member of Parliament for Leeds–Grenville, on behalf of the Honourable Julian Fantino, Minister of International Cooperation, announced support for the Access to Health and Education for all Children and Youth with Disabilities (AHEAD) project.
"The Harper Government is committed to increasing the quality of life of children and youth as an international assistance priority. Through this partnership with Queen's University, Canadians can take pride in the progress being made to help ensure the rights of persons with disabilities, especially children and youth," said MP Brown. "By tapping into the expertise of Queen's University, Canada will help Bangladesh provide assistance and support for persons with disabilities, with a special focus on children and youth."
This investment will help Queen's University improve the skills of rehabilitation workers and teachers to integrate children with disabilities into their communities and classrooms in Bangladesh. The project will aim to increase access to health, education, and protection services for as many as 13,000 children and youth, particularly girls, with disabilities in Bangladesh.
"We are extremely grateful to the Government of Canada for making the AHEAD project possible for the International Centre for the Advancement of Community Based Rehabilitation (ICACBR) at Queen's University," said Dr. Richard Reznick, Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, Queen's University. "ICACBR has a 20-year record of service to some 18 nations with some of the most vulnerable populations on the planet. None of this would be possible without visionary organizations like CIDA."
The project will be funded through CIDA's Partners for Development Program.
Economic Action Plan 2013 affirms Canada's commitment to international development investments such as improving the health and education of children and youth in developing countries. The new Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development will maintain the mandate of poverty alleviation. The amalgamation will help achieve greater efficiency, accountability, and focus to continue to improve the lives of people in need around the world.
For more information, please visit CIDA's University Partners page.
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