Alizz Islamic Bank and The Ministry of Social Development unveiled a crowdfunding website (www.crowdfunding.alizzislamic.com) to raise OMR 2 million to build the Center of Excellence for Children with Disabilities, as well as an additional initiative on the platform to collect OMR 40,000 under the to provide “Eidiya”, to distribute to orphans.

The website was launched at the Ministry of Social Development, in the presence of Al Sayyida. Maani Al-Busaidi, Director General of Family Development at the Ministry of Social Development, Mr. Hani Al-Zubair, Vice Chairman of the board of Alizz Islamic Bank, and Mr. Sulaiman bin Hamad Al-Harthi, CEO of Alizz Islamic Bank, and a number of officials from both institutions, and Mrs. Rahma Al-Musharrafi, Chairman of the Association of Early Intervention for Children with Disabilities

The crowdfunding website (https://crowdfunding.alizzislamic.com) aims to collect OMR 2 million from various segments of society and collect OMR 40,000 for orphans by using innovative digital technology. This will allow all groups and segments of society to participate and contribute in building “The Center of Excellence for Children with Disabilities” and help orphans.

The donation process is transparent and reveals the amount donated. When entering the website, donors can notice the movement of the electronic meter, the number of donors and the amount remaining to reach the desired sum. Alizz Islamic Bank has facilitated the process of donating from anywhere in the Sultanate or outside it.

Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project by raising small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the Internet and social media. With an aim of financing a project that serves the community, the money is collected through a specialized platform that guarantees everyone’s participation in serving the nation and society. This act will also gain religious remuneration and reward for contributors. The act of donation establishes the role and responsibility of the Omani community, institutions and individuals, as a partner that provides services to Omani persons with disabilities.  This plays an important role in the establishment of private rehabilitation institutions that contribute to the rehabilitation of these individuals alongside government institutions, as this solidarity leads to collaboration in building society, each according to his role.

During the inauguration ceremony, an additional initiative was launched on the website (https://crowdfunding.alizzislamic.com) aiming to collect OMR 40,000 as ‘Eidiya’ for orphans. The sum will be distributed to orphans from the Child Care Center.

Alizz Islamic Bank and the Ministry of Social Development have opened an account for every orphan at the Child Care Center, and after completing the collection of the required sum, the amount will be distributed equally to each orphan. The orphans are under the supervision of the Ministry of Social Development which provides them with the necessary needs and prepares them in terms of educational, social and cultural aspects to integrate them into society.

Alizz Islamic Bank believes in providing excellent humanitarian initiatives that offer the greatest benefit to society in appreciation of every child. It also aims to preserve them as the building block on which the future of society is built. The care for persons with disabilities and orphans in the Sultanate comes from the government’s keenness, represented by the Ministry of Social Development, to ensure that this group, in all its categories, has access to all rights like other citizens in the Sultanate. Among these rights are the rehabilitation of these people in the various rehabilitation institutions that provide the services that persons with disabilities need to become people who are easy to integrate into society to play their role side by side with the people of this country.

Active contribution

On a related note, Sayyida Maani Al Busaidi, Director General of the General Directorate for Family Development at the Ministry of Social Development, appreciated the launch of this website, the first of its kind in the Sultanate, touching upon how the efforts of the bank work in parallel with achieving all means of expanding the developmental roles of the Ministry of Social Development.

“It is important at the outset to thank Alizz Islamic Bank for its active contribution. We are proud to launch the crowdfunding project on the website (www.crowdfunding.alizzislamic.com) to raise funds to build “The Center of Excellence for Children with Disabilities”. God willing this project will see success in a short time.  This initiative will be engraved as part of history and the name of Alizz Islamic Bank will ring throughout the annals of time. It is a great honour that the cooperation will bear results that are good and righteous.”

She concluded her speech saying: “We praise and applaud your humanitarian duty. We express our thanks and gratitude to you and everyone who has supported us. On behalf of the Ministry of Social Development we thank you all for your kind initiative and the Ministry as well as Alizz Islamic Bank will work side by side in the future to serve various groups served by the Ministry of Social Development.”

Continuing humanitarian duties

On the other hand, Mr. Hani Al Zubair, Vice Chairman of the board of Alizz Islamic Bank, said: “This is not just a task between us that we have accomplished, but rather it is the opening chapter of a of the relationship between the Ministry of Social Development and Alizz Islamic Bank. This is the first step in the long journey ahead for of more cooperation in the days to come. The launch of this website will enhance the fields of creativity to be inclusive in ensuring the service of various social strata and groups that fall under the umbrella of the Ministry of Social Development.

We always strive to facilitate what are tough and overcome difficulties, by devising various methods and systems that lead to providing social care for the disabled, handicapped, orphans and others. We provide them with financial and in-kind assistance and rehabilitating those who can be rehabilitated. I urge you to continue carrying out humanitarian deeds, because as you know without cooperation, we will not be able to build continuous achievements, for success is a journey, not a destination. With constant cooperation we will move towards the goal we seek.”

An initiative bigger than us

Sulaiman Al Harthi, CEO of Alizz Islamic Bank, affirmed that in all situations a distinction should be made between theory and practice, as theory enjoys freedom and possesses a wide time space, and it usually does come later than reality. Application requires immediate and direct action and this is what we are doing at the launch of this website. We all take part in doing a great service to this beloved nation and continuing to persevere in strengthening the relationship between Alizz Islamic Bank and the Ministry of Social Development in preserving the social fabric of this country and transforming all cooperation into a real tangible reality in various fields. The lesson is not in terms of nomenclature, but rather in the goals that we will all achieve, God willingly. We honour and cherish the Omani spirit in you. We say thank you and salute this high spirit and enthusiasm because we feel that this initiative is greater than us, as it includes the entire country and not just Alizz Islamic Bank.

The four partners

Rahma Al Musharrafi, Chairman of the Association for Early Intervention for Children with Disabilities, valued this inauguration, saying, with appreciation, “I take this opportunity to extend my congratulations to the four partners represented in the private and public sector, non-profit charitable institutions and the society on launching this initiative. We are convinced that Alizz Islamic Bank has adopted this project based on the belief in the Early Intervention Society’s mission and its impact on various segments of society. It will also give an incentive to other sectors to initiate and contribute to promoting collective donation and community solidarity, and we hope that the quest we seek will be fulfilled.”

Ongoing commitment

Murtadha Al Lawati, AGM Head of Marketing & Corporate Communications, affirmed the continuous commitment to developing social work by supporting and empowering needy groups, building effective mechanisms for social protection, enhancing family cohesion and social solidarity, activating community partnership, and raising the efficiency of resources to provide high-quality social services. Every individual in this society has the right and ability to contribute to building the nation in various ways, and therefore we are continuing to promote these initiatives. Our government has been keen since the beginning of the Blessed Renaissance to provide decent living for the people of the country and to achieve human dignity for them across social groups, and our role will extend to include bigger and wider initiatives.”

Giving and loyalty

Zayed bin Jumah Al Hadidi, Director of the Child Care Center: “Our desire does not stop at presenting such initiatives, but rather it will extend beyond that. We congratulate Alizz Islamic Bank and the Ministry of Social Development for launching this site to serve this category of society and we say: Giving back to this great nation generates wonderful results, everlasting giving and loyalty.”

Association of Early Intervention for Children with Special Needs is a nonprofit organisation that aims to take care of our ‘heroes’” from infancy to nine years and qualify them to face life and discover their precious capabilities. It is a charitable association, established in May 2000 in order to meet the needs of children from birth until the age of 9 years with disabilities. It was established with the aim of providing comprehensive rehabilitation services to children and their families. The association offers a set of programmes, including: The Evaluation and Rehabilitation Program, which is the main specialized programme in the association which provides specialized technical support for day care programs as well as Home Visits Programme. These programmes contribute to integrating these children in schools or society to the maximum extent possible, as these programmes are provided to 136 children with disabilities. During the past twenty years, the association has succeeded in serving and integrating more than 2748 children, either in government schools or other rehabilitation centers.