Muscat – To create sustainable projects for persons with disabilities and support their entrepreneurial efforts, the Ministry of Labour (MoL), in cooperation with ASAAS Muscat, will organise the second edition of a forum titled Kaderoon (Able) in June 2022.

Speaking to Muscat Daily, Mohammed Mustafa al Shamali, CEO of ASAAS Muscat, said, “This edition of the forum aims to assist persons with disabilities create sustainable projects and manage their own businesses. It will facilitate 250 small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs), including one to set up a factory to make chairs for persons with disabilities, a workshop to sew flags, and providing outlets in malls to sell perfumes and such items.”

The first edition of Kaderoon was held in 2019 and organisers plan to hold the forum every year in cooperation with MoL, private sector companies and educational institutions to provide jobs and scholarships to persons with disabilities.

According to H H Sayyida Hujaija Jaifer al Said, chairperson of Association for the Welfare of Handicapped Children and honorary chairwoman of the forum, the first edition of the forum offered job opportunities to 70 persons with disabilities, training opportunities for 100, and four scholarships to pursue diplomas and graduate programmes.

“The second forum aims to create opportunities for persons with disabilities and support their projects, provide job opportunities, integrate them into the labour market, and establish an institution that will create sustainable projects for them,” said H H Sayyida.

The forum will witness wide participation of government agencies, private sector and associations engaged with people with disabilities to benefit from their capabilities in the field of education or rehabilitation.

Focused on people with physical, visual and hearing disabilities, besides MoL, several government agencies will support the forum, including the Ministry of Education and Royal Oman Police.

“We hope to obtain financial and moral support to train and rehabilitate persons with disabilities to establish SMEs and become businessmen,” H H Sayyida informed.