Jisr el Wati – 1987

History

In 1986, arcenciel asks the furniture company "Lignes & Couleurs" (Jisr el wati) to allow a few people with disabilities to work at their carpentry. Facing this furniture factory was a large vacant lot of 6000m² with empty warehouses. arcenciel would occupy these warehouses for free since 1987.

Wishing to expand its properties and expand its range of services, arcenciel then solicits the Minister of electrical and hydraulic resources to help find a suitable site for the construction of a new center. After much research, a plot of 4800 m², adjacent to the Beirut river is identified. This land was granted by presidential decree on the 12 August 1994.

To begin work, some funding was needed. Contact was then established with AECI (Agencia Espanola de Cooperacion Internacional) through the FPSC (Fondacion Promocion Social de la Cultura), which quickly granted the necessary funds for the entire construction. In November 1997, the installation was completed, and the opening of the center took place in the presence of Padmani Mendis, consultant in CBR (community based rehabilitation).

Key dates:

1988: creation of a workshop for wheelchairs repair with financial assistance from our Swedish partner "Diakonia", and the installation of a physiotherapy room

1990: creation of a carpentry workshop

1992: establishment of a private shop for the different products from various workshops in arcenciel.

1994: creation of a workshop for the production of technical aids (wheelchairs, crutches, walkers, etc...) with technical support from "Handicap International" 

1995: installation of offices for the program "Access & Rights" located near the physiotherapy room.

1996: creation of the workshop for orthopedic shoes with technical support from "Handicap International"

1997 : arcenciel moves to its new center in Jisr el Wati.

1998: creation of a “Seat-Brace" workshop

1999 : inauguration of the new center at Jisr el Wati by the Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar on the occasion of his official visit to Lebanon.

2000: initiation of rainbow club activities 

2005: creation of the waste treatment post

2008: creation of the speech therapy and psychomotor services

Currently over a hundred people are working daily in the center, which receives hundreds of users per day, being the largest volume of services at arcenciel.

Facilities and Activities

Accessibility and mobility Program

• rehabilitation of living space
• adaptation of vehicles 

Access & rights program

• Access & Rights” Centre at  the Ministry of Social Affairs
• office for diagnosis and delivery of handicap identity cards for the disabled
• coordination of all centers for the rights & access program
• research and development 

Health program

• dental care
• medical consultations
• physiotherapy
• occupational Therapy
• oxygen therapy
• speech and psychomotor therapy
• pharmacy

Social Program

• academic and medical support
• support for refugees (Syrian and Iraqi)
• community based rehabilitation

Employment program

• placement office
• workshop for production and training(manufacture of ceramics and ceramic painting) 
• voluntaries department
• rights & access Center for the Ministry of Social Affairs

Youth Program

• basketball, aerobics, audio-visuals, billiards, football, music, table tennis.board games, internet access, library

 

Environmental program

• hospital waste station
• the grouping of “tumbling caps”

 

 

Administrative Department

• accounting
• sales and supply
• stocks
• human resources