Hello,

I’m Maher, and that's my brother.

In 2005 my mom got pregnant. What we didn’t know was that she would give birth to a little boy that was going to change our lives tremendously. He would come to teach us a different way of seeing life, a way that sees more beauty than we could imagine at the time. 

Hadi, my brother, has down syndrome. 

The amazing thing about Hadi is that he values everything, small and big gestures make him equally happy. Every time he goes out and comes back, I ask him the same question: “did you have fun?”, the answer is always “so much”. My brother doesn’t know harm or sadness. Being happy is Hadi’s constant state, he loves life and every detail of it. 

When I was in school, I used to wait for biology class because we used to talk about special cases and one of them was down syndrome. I used to listen and focus carefully on what the teacher would say in order to learn new stuff about my brother. One day, my world crumbled when the teacher told us that in Lebanon, people with down syndrome, have an average life expectancy of 13 years. I would go home and pray for that day not to come, for a different reality! Thank God, today, Hadi is 16 years old and in good health. 

We are currently living in extremely difficult economic circumstances, which largely affects vulnerable populations. Organizations, patient associations, companies, service industries and others working with these populations have a key role to play in alleviating the burden and anxiety that comes with it. 

In partnership with Blue Black Purple (BBP) Corp., a multisectoral research and development organization specializing in SocioTech solutions. I want to create a bridge between various establishments and businesses (such as: entertainment centers, health services/centers, recreational facilities, shopping malls, hospitality, etc.) and people with special needs (including the veteran and elderly population). With the assistance of Global Positioning System (GPS), users would be able to track nearby organizations that offer services and benefits based on their particular condition. The application would be available internationally, therefore available for the user wherever they go.  

Individuals with special needs or various disabilities, elderly people, veterans and their families have seen a high impact on their personal economic reality. Everything is more expensive, from school fees to doctor fees and speech language pathologists. The personal economic impact could be with people for years to come.

The application would create a convenient path for users to gain promotions and benefits. 

Social inclusion or active engagement in society has a positive impact on mortality, well-being, and life satisfaction. In fact, the fallout from social isolation and loneliness is estimated to cost US Medicare $6.7 billion per year.

We are seeking your support in order to develop the prototype for this application and get the development started. 

When the goal is reached, 3% of the funds received will go directly to Hadi.

Hadi owns 3% of this project.