JEDDAH - A group of around 250 children with intellectual disabilities enjoyed a wonderful time at Al Shallal Theme Park and Fakieh Aquarium and Planetarium, where they had fun while learning about the marine life of the Red Sea and the planets in vastness of the universe.
Hosted by Tarfeeh Fakieh – Fakieh Leisure and Entertainment Group, the visitors consisted of three groups; 4 to 11 years old and 12 to 18 years old and 18 years and above. The children were from The Help Center, which was established in Jeddah in 1985 by the late Sheikh Ahmad Al-Juffali and is dedicated to the welfare of people with intellectual disabilities.
Commenting, Jamil Attar, Executive Director of Tarfeeh Fakieh, said: ‘It was a great pleasure to welcome these young visitors from The Help Center to three of our most popular attractions and it was a joy to see the children’s faces light up with wonderment as they marveled at the amazing beauty of the undersea world and gazed on the planets as they experienced an imaginary journey into outer space.”
Attar went on to say: “At Tarfeeh Fakieh our aim is to make Saudi families happy while advancing their knowledge by providing edutainment - the name we give to education through entertainment. With regard to this, we have a special program dedicated to school trips and host groups of young students at all our educational attractions almost every day.”
Thanking Tarfeeh Fakieh for hosting the visit, Maha Juffali, Director and Supervising Trustees - Help Center, said: “We greatly appreciate the care and attention the management of Tarfeeh Fakieh put into arranging this visit, which the children thoroughly enjoyed.
“They had a marvelous time at AlShallal Theme Park and, most important for their education, the Fakieh Aquarium and the Planetarium was a beautiful and instructive way to introduce them to the rich abundance of marine life in their own Red Sea and the billions of stars that bejewel the universe.
”Even more importantly, the visit gave these children with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to mingle with other school children, which is crucial for their social development,” she added.
As an added attraction, Ali Hmeidy, well known for his SA7i YouTube episodes, entertained the children. The Help Center fun and education day will be featured in a forthcoming film that Sa7i YouTube channel is making, showing how Tarfeeh Fakieh brings happiness to children. - SG
