Refia Ari

REFIA ARI

1961 - Refia Ari was born on the 3rd February in Paphos of parents Ozkan and Ayten Kamil -bakers.

1984 - She graduated from OTDU as an International Relations graduate and maried Engin Ari, a Businessman of the Year -they have two sons, one with Downs Syndrome.

1999 - 2002- She founded the Association for Children With Disabilities In Need of Special Eduation with others, upon the failure of a state sponsored discrettionary scheme to provide such education for 20 children -none having existed before. Later elected the President of that association renamed Special Needs Education Association, she attended courses and training, fundraised and made available special education for disabled children and support for their parents -despite the intercommunal troubles succeding also in bringing the Turkish parents with a similar Greek group and enlisting support also from the USAID and the UNDP.

2003 - She received the Woman of the Year award of the Women's Studies and Education Centre of the Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU), KKTC -Cyprus.

2006 - Her campaining succeded and the Council of State, including her in its committe for the reorganisation of education, made laws to provide in ordinary schools education for disabled children up the age of 18 and state support for their parents.

Her efforts continue to ensure the same also for the adult disabled, and the public channel Bayrak Radio - Television (S. Erguclu, ‘Yasamin Icinden' 2002) praised her as follows:

"Mrs. Refia Ari has created for children.. a world that becomes more beautiful every day"