Oman’s Khimji Ramdas Group to support the construction of a new vocational centre for AEIC
Vocational centre will support children of determination with training and rehabilitation equipment and facilities
Khimji Ramdas Group (KRG) has said that its social development arm, ESHRAQA, will be supporting the construction of a new vocational centre for the Association of Early Intervention for Children with Special Needs (AEIC).
Nailesh Khimji, director of Khimji Ramdas Group, signed the agreement with the Special Needs Organisation CEO Sabah Mohammed Al Bahlani, and said that the AEIC vocational centre will be dedicated to providing children of determination with training and rehabilitation equipment and facilities that will ensure their integration into society; and help them and their families lead a better quality of life.
Highlighting the importance of integrating special needs children to society within the framework of Oman’s Vision 2040, Khimji said: “ESHRAQA strives to play a role in ensuring inclusive and quality education for all in the sultanate. We aim to promote lifelong learning, by supporting programmes in early childhood development, as well as access to technical and vocational education and training for the youth.”
“Our commitment to the Association of Early Intervention is in line with the same vision. Through our assistance, we hope to enable generations of special needs children, to reach their full potential and take part in shaping their own future and in turn that of the nation,” he stated.
Al Bahlani added: “We need to leverage private and public partners in new, innovative ways to finance and scale infrastructure that will help in bridging the inclusion divide for children with special needs.”
The vocational centre will offer special needs children access to boundless beneficial activities and facilitate new ways of interactive learning, while enriching their life’s experiences through meaningful exchanges, he stated.
ESHRAQA Head Mahmood Khalifa Alsaqri said, “We have been working towards providing children with access to quality education and learning resources through the design of special programmes that are both impactful and sustainable.”
“Our assistance to the AIEC is a step in the same direction. We will continue to empower, inspire and nurture children from all walks of life, the leaders of tomorrow,” he added.
Khimji Ramdas’ ESHRAQA has been established on the premise that the private sector has a responsibility towards the development of local communities and empowering talented individuals in the sultanate, he explained.
“By working towards nation-building at the grassroots, ESHRAQA aspires to contribute meaningfully to the education sector by building infrastructure that will lead to the enhancement of knowledge, skills and capabilities in society,” he concluded.
There has been a raft of development activity in Oman over the last few years as the government seeks to diversify its economy. In May 2022, the Al Taher Group said the upgrade of the Oman Avenues Mall is on schedule, and later in the month, $95.8mn in land development deals were inked by Oman’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning with the private sector. In June 2022, it was announced that the country’s 1,800m long zipline could be operational by Q4, 2022.
