RO 4 m agreement to support disabled children

The Ministry of Social Development and Oman Liquefied Natural Gas (Oman LNG) today signed an agreement to the tune of RO 4 million to carry out three initiatives within the context of the ministry’s mission to promote social responsibility and consolidate partnerships to serve this goal.

The agreement was signed by Dr Laila Ahmed al Najjar, Minister of Social Development; and Hamad Mohammed al Naumani, CEO of Oman LNG.

The agreement signed is aligned with Oman’s 2040 vision that ensures a prosperous future for all citizens. Oman’s Vision 2040 comprises a list of national priorities with citizens and the development of the country positioned at the centre of a strategic plan to ensure the Sultanate keeps pace with regional and global advancements. Two components in the twelve priorities, directly benefitting from Oman LNG’s recent signing with the Ministry of Social Development are Well-Being and Social Protection, and Education, Learning, Scientific Research and National Capabilities.

The first intervention is the capacity building of over two hundred and fifty professional therapists in diverse areas of specialisations relating to special needs care and disabilities. This programme comes to support Omanisation in this field while it enriches their capabilities and skills as well as supporting tailored capacity-building programmes for the faculty members working for the associations dealing with people with disability. Specifically, upskill training will be provided to both experienced therapists and young graduates to ensure their efficiency in delivering care to children living with physical and mental challenges.

This programme additionally supports the Job Security Fund as it offers redeployment opportunities for professionals working in the special care delivery for children with disability, as the programme propels their skills to make them employable and ready to take this sector to new horizons.

The second area of focus entails the establishment of well-structured programmes and electronic platforms to facilitate the rehabilitation of the children ultimately aiming at their inclusion in the broader, mainstream education. This programme covers all government-run organisations and non-government organisations dealing with children with disability in the Sultanate. The programme introduces aquatic therapy in seven units, and develops an electronic platform for rehabilitation that provides online therapy sessions for children and consultation sessions for their parents. Additionally, the programme will support the Ministry of Social Development and rehabilitation centres to establish early intervention programmes and standardisation. This initiative aims to provide unified intervention standards that can be implemented and measured.

The company aims to develop structured programmes and platforms enabling the inclusion of children with special needs in mainstream schooling education in an effort to strengthen their independence and integration within society.

Talal al Awfi, Chairman of Oman LNG, said, “We are rather delighted to extend our strategic partnership with the Ministry of Social Development, and offer wider programmes that cater for many children living with disability. The agreements tie-in well with Oman’s 2040 Vision. This project aligns with Oman LNG’s previous efforts of supporting people with special needs and ultimately touching lives”.

The third pillar of the pact aims to improve the facilities of a number of organisations and associations dealing with children with disability across various governorates, enabling them to provide better quality services.

@zainabalnassri