Sohar Aluminium and the Association of Early Intervention for Children with Disability signed today, Thursday, 25th March, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to fund the establishment of a Hydrotherapic Swimming Pool at the new building of the Association. The MoU was signed during a brief ceremony that was held in the Ministry of Social Development, under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Rashid bin Ahmed Al Shamsi, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Development, and the presence of Honourable, Sabah bint Mohammed Al Bahlaniyah, Member of the State Council, and CEO of the Association, Engineer Said bin Mohammed Al Masoudi, CEO of Sohar Aluminium, and representatives of the Company and the Association.

The agreement was signed by Ahmed bin Mohammad bin Nasser Al-Kharusi, General Manager of Human Resources and Corporate Affairs at Sohar Aluminium, and Engineer Rahmah bint Hamed Al-Musharfiyah, Chairwoman of the Association.

As per the agreement, Sohar Aluminium will fund the establishment of the Hydrotherapic Swimming Pool that is specially designed for treating and training children with disabilities. The project will facilitate the services provided to these children especially in terms of physiotherapy and development of body functions, as well as activities that aim at social and psychological development.

Commenting on the signing ceremony, His Excellency Sheikh Rashid bin Ahmed Al Shamsi, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Development, said: “We applaud this project that encompasses the collaboration between the different sectors and contributes to the national social endavours. We encourage such initiatives by the private sector aiming to benefit children with disabilities in the Sultanate who deserve caring and nurturing. Undoubtedly, these endavours contribute to the achievements of the strategic plans set and sought by the Ministry in line with Oman 2040 Vision.”

Honourable, Sabah bint Mohammed Al Bahlaniyah, Member of the State Council, and CEO of the Association, said: “This project shall, undoubtedly, contribute to aiding and expanding the facilities of the new building of the Association, and help overcome the challenges. It will also help in developing the quality of provided services and introduce new methods of treatment that will help accelerate the process of physical and linguistic development and psychosocial integration of children with disabilities. We thank Sohar Aluminium for funding this project.”

Engineer Said Al Masoudi, CEO of Sohar Aluminium said: “This MoU comes in line with Sohar Aluminium’s commitment to social responsibility and as a pioneer in this field. Through this project, we hope to contribute to sustainable solutions to overcome challenges that the association faces. We have always endeavoured to contribute to adding value to different spectrums of the society by investing in a variety of social projects as well as supporting and sponsoring different initiatives.”

The Association of Early Intervention for Children with Disability was established almost 20 years ago and provides support and services to children with disabilities from birth until 9 years of age with various disabilities, by providing comprehensive rehabilitation services aimed at integrating them into society. The Early Intervention Centre that is managed by the Association provides many services and programs such as the evaluation and rehabilitation program, the Day Care program, and the home visits program, which aims to train parents on coping mechanisms, stimulation and psychological care for their children with disabilities.