MoE, PDO sign pact to finance blind students’ craft showroom
Muscat - The Ministry of Education (MoE) has signed an agreement with Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) to finance the construction of a hall and a showroom for products in the craft-training unit at the
Omar bin Al Khattab Institute for the Blind.
The signing took place at the institute’s headquarters in Muscat last week, where H E Dr Abdullah Ambusaidi, Undersecretary for Education in MoE, signed the agreement with Eng Mohammed al Gharibi, director of Foreign Affairs and Communications at PDO.
The agreement comes within the framework of the fruitful partnership between MoE and private sector institutions to develop and improve the services provided to children with disabilities. It also comes in translation of Oman Vision 2040 and international agreements ratified by the sultanate under Royal Decrees to support the rights of children and children with disabilities.
Moreover, it also supports the principle of ‘inclusive education and equal opportunities’ for persons with disabilities, and to enhance efforts aimed at supporting the skills and competencies of students with disabilities and qualifying them for the labour market in consideration to their abilities and capabilities and providing them with opportunities to participate and support their desires for future life.
In 2016, PDO funded a project to establish a pottery-making workshop at the Omar bin Al Khattab Institute for the Blind.
The workshop provided a unique opportunity for blind students to enjoy and learn at the same time.
It also helped students to achieve a new source of income or join the profession of pottery making if they wish to do so in the future.
The new financing agreement aims to expand that previously funded workshop.
In his statement H E Dr Ambusaidi said, “I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Omar bin Al Khattab Institute for the Blind for the efforts it provides in order to develop the skills of this group of society which is evident in the creativity of blind students. The support provided by the private sector and the government sector for this category is commendable, and we hope that this support will continue to encourage this group of students, so that they can manage their lives by themselves.”
Eng Gharibi said, “This agreement comes within the context of the company's social responsibility and support to this group of society in particular, which undoubtedly has great importance. The company's support to this institute comes for the second time after the potterymaking workshop was established.
“The second stage of the project is to extend this workshop to enable this group to develop their skills and secure a source of income for them, which helps them to financial independence to some extent.”