Muscat – The Association for the Welfare of Handicapped Children (AWHC) signed an agreement on Monday with Mitsui E&P Middle East to provide physio and occupational therapy equipment and devices for the association’s centres in various regions of the sultanate.

Speaking on the occasion, H H Sayyida Hujaija bint Jaifar al Said, chairperson of AWHC, said, “This generous initiative from Mitsui E&P Middle East will contribute to the provision of advanced and modern equipment and devices.”

She informed that some AWHC centres do not have basic infrastructure to support children with disabilities and added that “this gesture is a big help for the association, specially for children who suffered the most due to the COVID-19 pandemic”.

Najeeb al Harthy, board member, general manager and CEO of Mitsui E&P Middle East, said, “This initiative comes within the scope of the company’s endeavour to expand the umbrella of its social responsibility in a permanent and continuous manner to include various sections of the society.

“We know that this association is doing a great job in rehabilitating children with disabilities, and it is stretched for resources. We have supported now and in future if need arises, we will support the association again.”

The association runs nine centres across Oman, in which various programmes are conducted to support around 350 children with disabilities.
The goal of AWHC is to implement advanced rehabilitation and training programmes for children to help them adapt and integrate with society.

Before the pandemic, AWHC enrolled four to five children in one class but due to social distancing measures, the associations now conducts one-to-one sessions only and has around 25 children waitlisted.

Text by Syed Fasiuddin