Positive interaction of citizens with the activities and training courses at social development centers

19-09-2020

Director of the Social Development Centres Directorate at the Ministry of Labour and Social Development, Ms Rania Abdulrahman Al Bastaki, confirmed that the Ministry’s initiative to deliver specialised training courses—launched in mid‑August across nine social centres in Bahrain’s governorates—has enjoyed remarkable success, attracting participants from diverse groups through live video technology. The courses covered life skills and safety, managing social disputes, marketing mechanisms for entrepreneurship and home‑based projects, and other competencies that help residents acquire practical experience during the exceptional conditions created by the Coronavirus COVID‑19 pandemic. Al Bastaki explained that these virtual programmes form part of each social centre’s ongoing role in raising public awareness. By presenting lectures and seminars remotely, the centres ensure community safety while fully observing national precautionary measures. She noted that the Ministry, in partnership with The Nine Training Centre, established a comprehensive plan to maintain educational outreach. The partner centre has provided technical support for the virtual delivery, and the Ministry’s social‑media pages (mlsdbahrain) have publicised each session, inviting the public to register via an electronic platform. Since mid‑August 2020, more than 550 women and men have benefited from the initiative—a response that reflects both high demand and active engagement. The lecture series addresses wide‑ranging interests aimed at developing participants’ cultural, social, professional and humanitarian perspectives. Speakers and trainers have underlined the value of life skills, psychological well‑being, stress management and conflict resolution; they have also guided participants through crisis‑time marketing techniques for entrepreneurs, highlighted leading mobile applications for promoting home‑based businesses and explored other topics that enrich daily life. All awareness‑raising activities will continue at the social centres. Al Bastaki emphasised that social centres remain pivotal at all times, serving as local hubs through which the Ministry offers social care and development services. Strategically located near residential areas, the centres provide comprehensive support that includes registering job‑seeker applications, following up on employment, offering vocational guidance, processing unemployment‑insurance claims, conducting social research, facilitating social‑assistance procedures, delivering family counselling, operating children and youth clubs and organising tailored training programmes for every segment of Bahraini society.