FWD Life Philippines X Special Olympics Philippines Launches Community Care Partnership
FWD Life Philippines together with the partnership of the Special Olympics Philippines launches its Community Care today, April 23rd at the The Palms Country Club in Muntilupa City wherein Pan-Asian insurer FWD life Insurance believes that there is a champion in all of us and that anybody can make a difference no matter the challenges they face.
I’m happy and excited for the outcome of this event wherein a friendly bowling competition is set-up for our media, bloggers and Special Olympics family. This event is not just about encouragement and to support our Special Olympics’ Unified Schools and Athlete Leadership Programs but also to uplift their morale and pursue their ambitions.
Thank you for FWD Life Insurance and Special Olympics for this opportunity; many people are able to get their ambitions in life possible with the help of the world’s largest sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities.
Chief Executive Officer Peter Grimes.
“FWD supports the vision of Special Olympics: using the power of sports to let people with intellectual disabilities discover new strengths and abilities. Through this partnership, we are excited to bring to life our Community Care vision-to empower people to live fulfilled lives.”
FWD and Special Olympics Philippines celebrated the beginning of the partnership with a bowling friendship match participated by athletes from both organizations as well as members of the Asia-based FWD Group, which launched their region-wide support to Special Olympics in Hong Kong in February, is donating US$ 1.25 million across the markets where it operates: Hong Kong, Thailand, lndonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, and Japan.
15% of the world lives with a disability‘. Of these, more than 200 million2 have an intellectual disability making them one of the world’s biggest disability groups and one of the most underserved populations. People with intellectual disability face enormous attitudinal, structural, and logistical barriers to obtaining healthcare and getting a job. These compounding factors mean that many struggle with poverty and have significantly shorter lifespans than the general population.
Encouraging inclusion through sports
“FWD Life Philippines has always been keen about addressing the needs of people across different lifestyles by teaching them and equipping them to live life to the fullest,” FWD Life Philippines Head of Marketing and Community Care Lead Roche Vandenberghe noted.
Kaye Samson, Special Olympics Philippines National Director, said, ”We are delighted to welcome FWD to the Special Olympics family. This new partnership with FWD in the Philippines will make a difference to the lives of our athletes and young people. Together, we will collaborate to create a unified generation-people with and without intellectual disabilities working together for an inclusive society, where respect, tolerance, and human equality prevail.”
FWD to support Special Olympics’ Unified Schools and Athlete Leadership programs
To fulfill their dream of an inclusive environment with equal opportunities for people with disabilities, FWD, through its Community Care program, will support two (2) Special Olympics programs:
1. Unified Schools
2. Athlete Leadership programs
For the Unified Schools program, FWD will partner with Special Olympics in engaging thousands at young people in workshops and unilied activities to eduate them about people with intellectual disabilities and train them to develop ways to create social change.
FWD also plans to invite schools and communities to various sports and non-sports activities involving Special Olympics athletes, to celebrate acceptance and inclusion.
The Athlete leadership program on the other hand include hundreds of athletes with intellectual disabilities will undergo training to be empowered, develop leadership skills, utilize their abilities to undertake leadership roles in the Special Olympics movement, and create inclusive communities all over the world.
These activities will be done under the umbrella of FWD’s 2020 Community Care program whose goal is to improve the quality of life of individuals with disabilities in Asia by promoting inclusion through rehabilitation and vocational training and generate positive change for the disabled, their families, and their communities.
‘Stop the ridicule, choose to include.”
During the FWD~Special Olympics Philippines partnership launch, FWD Life Philippines also launched its support for the campaign to end “the R~Word.’
During the event, guests and participants of the bowling match pledged to stop using the R-Word, which is short for the word “retarded,“ considered exclusive, offensive, and derogatory.
The said R-Word aims to drive people to stop saying the R-word and other similar words as a starting point toward creating more accepting attitudes and communities for a more inclusive society.
To all who participated in this event; I know they are also overwhelmed with the support of each other’s team together with the Special Olympics Philippines and FWD Philippines. You’re the BEST!
