Cairo, 5 November 2023: Beltone Financial Holding ("Beltone"), one of the fastest-growing investment banks, announces its partnership with Wayana International Foundation for Awareness and Inclusion of People with Disabilities ("Wayana"), a leading non-governmental organization in the field of community awareness, inclusion, and empowerment of people with disabilities, to support individuals with Down Syndrome in their journey toward successful inclusion into the corporate world in light of Beltone’s training program “Train to Sustain”.

Through this partnership, Beltone has provided financial resources for a comprehensive training program designed to equip individuals with Down Syndrome, with workplace skills and knowledge. Beltone has also hired nine individuals with Down Syndrome from Wayana, ensuring they were placed in roles that match their strengths and abilities. To ensure their success in these roles, the new hires were provided with continuous on-the-job training, in addition to external training by Wayana’s trio of training providers: The 360 Clinics for Psychological Mental and Brain Training, Quest Corporate Training, and Btech Academy for Office and IT Skills.

Sherry Bishara, Chief People and Corporate Sustainability Officer at Beltone, commented: “Beltone is dedicated to implementing sustainability initiatives that aim to empower individuals and foster community development. As part of this commitment, we have partnered with Wayana to create a program focused on training individuals with Down Syndrome.”

The main objective of the training program titled “Train to Sustain” is to empower individuals with Down Syndrome to succeed in their careers, sustain their lives, and contribute to the community’s sustainability. To achieve this, the program includes several key pillars that are tailored to cater to individual training needs and ensure the highest quality possible. The program’s significant tasks have been broken down into subtasks, allowing employees to gradually build their skills and confidence. In addition to conducting workshops for Beltone's employees, providing them with valuable insights on effectively integrating individuals with Down Syndrome into the work environment, thereby enabling them to maximize their potential and excel in their day-to-day tasks.

To further support this program, Beltone is organizing a job fair where trained individuals with disabilities can showcase their abilities to various companies. Not only does this event provide these individuals with equal opportunities for professional success, but it also promotes workforce diversity and personal growth.

Dr. Hala Abd El Khalik, Founder of Wayana International Foundation, commented: "We are delighted to partner with Beltone to support individuals with Down Syndrome, in line with our goal to demonstrate the capabilities of people with Down Syndrome and promote their inclusion in the community. With Beltone’s support, we believe this partnership will make a positive difference in the lives of these individuals by helping them find decent jobs and equipping them with the skills they need for work.”

This collaboration between Beltone and Wayana serves to highlight the capabilities and valuable contributions of individuals with Down Syndrome to the workforce. In addition to their ability to fulfill basic tasks, individuals with Down Syndrome have the potential to create a more inclusive, accepting, loving, and caring corporate environment due to their emotional abundance and intelligence. This can have a significant impact on team building and foster the empowering spirit that corporations strive to cultivate within their culture.