Canada World Youth celebrates the success of its partnership with the MAB-Mackay Rehabilitation Centre

MONTREAL, Dec. 3, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - As the world recognizes International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD), Canada World Youth (CWY) is pleased to celebrate the success of its partnership with the MAB-Mackay Rehabilitation Centre.

‟As an organization, Canada World Youth is constantly looking at ways to attract youth from all backgrounds and origins to our programs because we strongly believe in the impact it has on these youth, said CWY President and CEO, Rita S. Karakas."

‟This year, we collaborated with MAB-Mackay to send nine deaf and hard-of-hearing youth to Kenya. I had the privilege of meeting these youth when they came back, and seeing the transformation in them, hearing about the confidence they had gained and the world they had discovered was truly touching. "

The MAB-Mackay Centre's clients include children and youth with motor impairments or communication disorders, and people of all ages who are deaf, hard-of-hearing or who have a visual impairment. The mission of the MAB-Mackay Rehabilitation Centre is to maximize clients' autonomy and community participation in order to improve their quality of life.

The project began in the summer of 2013 and consisted of a 6-week volunteer project in Kimende, Kenya, hosted by CWY's partner, KENVO. It involved nine Canadian youth, joined by six Kenyan youth.

Ryan Ducheony, a hearing impaired participant in the mission found his experience life-changing. "For my work placement, I worked at the KENVO tree nursery together with two other Canadians and two Kenyans. Our job was to put black earth into bags, pull weeds, plant trees and water the plants. During our weekly activity day, we went to a safari park, bird watching and even visited a school for the Deaf. We all enjoyed this life changing experience and the program really moved me. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to participate in this journey of a lifetime".

International Day of People with Disability is a United Nations sanctioned day that aims to promote an understanding of people with disability and encourage support for their dignity, rights and well-being.

It serves to illustrate the role that people of all abilities can play in local, national and international development through volunteerism.

About CWY

Canada World Youth is dedicated to enriching the lives of people aged 15-35 who want to become informed and active global citizens. CWY offers international educational programs focussed on building knowledge, leadership and other life skills through participation in sustainable community-driven projects, many in developing countries. Canada World Youth's Youth Leaders in Action program is funded through Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada (DFATD). Over the past 42 years, 36,000 young people and 11,000 host families have participated in CWY programs, in Canada and abroad. CWY is registered with the Canada Revenue Agency as a charitable organization (#118973999RR0001).

www.canadaworldyouth.org

SOURCE: Canada World Youth

Julie Brouard, Director, Communication and Public Engagement, Canada World Youth
1 800 605-3526 #310
514 931-3526 #310
[email protected]