A SPECIAL Gergaoun celebration for disabled children and their families was held in Salmaniya Garden last night after a two-year hiatus.
Hosted by the Bahrain Association for Parents and Friends of the Disabled (BAPF), the event was open to people of all disabilities and ages and has been a regular date during Ramadan for decades.
The much anticipated annual celebration midway through Ramadan is marked by children dressing up in traditional garb and going door-to-door, singing songs as they collect candy, trinkets and coins in celebration of the birth of Prophet Mohammed.
Staffed by young volunteers, the Gergaoun featured traditional food, an abundance of gifts for children and music.
The event saw a number of performances from Fazat Shabab, a non-profit organisation that volunteers at charity events.
It was attended by almost 150 people including BAPF president Jassim Al Seyadi, vice president Abdul Rahman Al Sayed, secretary Afaf Al Aseeri and women and children committee chairperson Dr Dalal Al Sherouqi.
Mr Al Sayed said the event has been a success.
“It’s been two years, so naturally everyone is excited about the return, you can see it in the way they’re celebrating!”
Happiest
Dr Al Sherouqi, a prominent figure in philanthropic circles, spoke about the importance of having such events for people with special needs.
“Gergaoun is one of the happiest times of the year and is enjoyed by almost every child in Bahrain. Unfortunately, it is inaccessible for some disabled children who are unable to partake in big communal events,” she said.
“Sensory overload is a very big issue for children with autism and Gergaoun typically has dozens of children running around the place, bright lights and loud unpredictable sounds can prove challenging without care and consideration being taken into account.”
The association runs a range of regular family-oriented events all year-round, including gardening, arts and crafts, and even the Hindu festival of colours, Holi.
“Having a schedule and sense of community for special needs children is really important,” she added.
“We all know each other very well and it’s beneficial for the children as they have familiar faces with whom they can socialise.”
While the BAPF usually sends out invitations to various other associations in Bahrain to partake in their community driven-events, invitations remained limited this year due to Covid-19 concerns.
One notable group missing was the elderly community. According to Dr Al Sherouqi, BAPF would regularly receive a busload of elderly people who would join in on the yearly festivities and have fun alongside the children.
“They were such an integral part of these events and their presence is dearly missed, but we had to keep in mind that a lot of them are immunocompromised,” she added.
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