Friday, March 29
05:38 AM

ESO raises over RO100,000 at virtual fundraiser event

25 Aug 2020

The Environment Society of Oman (ESO) raised over RO100,000 in its first-ever virtual fundraiser held on Sunday.

Hosted by H H Sayyida Tania al Said, president of ESO, and special guest Ali al Habsi, ESO’s ‘Environmental Big Night In’ drew friends and supporters from various countries and backgrounds for an evening of fun events for an ever-important cause. 

The hour-long event included videos of ESO’s past and ongoing work, a raffle and silent auction, as well as performances from local musicians including Eman al Zadjali, Maestro al Kindi, and Salha and Joel from the Million Dollar Band. 

There were also generous donations from corporate organisations including Renaissance Services, Khimji Ramdas Eshraqa, Ajit Khimji Group, Alizz Islamic Bank, Bank Muscat, Dentons, Ernst and Young, Octal, Oman Arab Bank, Oman China Friendship Association, Petrogas and Port of Duqm.

Most importantly, the fundraiser offered a unique chance to contribute to ESO’s tireless efforts to protect and preserve Oman’s precious environment.

“The current pandemic is serving as a stark reminder of how intricately connected environmental health is with human health,” said Sayyida Tania. 

“It is so important to support organisations like ESO who are dedicated to promoting environmental awareness and delivering programmes to help preserve Oman’s rich biodiversity. The economic impact of this pandemic has put significant strain on ESO. We needed to raise RO90,000 in order to sustain ESO’s operations into next year. While this was an ambitions target, we have been overwhelmed by the incredible support we’ve received from organisations and the general public in reaching, indeed exceeding, this target.

“This support has motivated us to keep advocating for our environment and Oman’s extraordinary wildlife. We would like to thank all of those who joined us and those who so generously donated, as well as our sponsor, Oman Arab Bank for helping us bring the event to life,” she added.

Commenting on the collaboration, Hilal al Siyabi, head of Corporate Communications at Oman Arab Bank, said, “We believe that the state of the environment is directly related to the physical and mental well-being of our communities. We are all facing challenging times at the moment. However, being involved in important activities such as this fundraiser is a means to secure a better and a brighter future for the generations to come. This partnership with ESO has also given us a platform to directly contribute towards preserving the sultanate’s rich environmental heritage in line with the bank’s sustainability strategy launched earlier this year.”

As the country’s only non-profit organisation dedicated to the environment, ESO has spent the last 16 years working to protect Oman’s environment through education, awareness and conservation. For those who missed the fundraiser, various membership and support options are available to help ESO carry on its important work, and secure Oman’s environmental health for the coming generations.

© 2021 Apex Press and Publishing. All Rights Reserved. Powered by Mesdac