Furthering its commitment to empower the various differently abled communities across the nation, Bank Sohar’s CSR programme “Sohar Al Atta’a” extended its support to Al Noor Association for the Blind in Dhofar. With a renewed focus on sustainable positive impact through education, empowering and training, the bank’s support facilitated the provision of voice-activated laptops to many members of the association enabling their participation in IT related activities, as well as raising the potential for learning and employment.

During his visit to Dhofar Governorate, Mr Khalil Salim Al Hedaifi, Chief Retail Banking Officer at Bank Sohar handed the support cheque to Mr Awadh Rajab Al Shroobeya, Chairman of the Association in Dhofar, at Bank Sohar’s Branch in Salalah.

Commenting on the support provided to Al Noor Association for the Blind in Dhofar, Mr Khalil Al Hedaifi said, “In our commitment to empower valued segments of society, technology has delivered an outstanding contribution with a plethora of meaningful benefits for members of Al Noor Association. Our recent support serves the social and educational interests of the association’s benefactors, with a particular emphasis on increasing their potential for employment, and raising their communication abilities. The latter offers great sustainable value to blind communities across Oman as it supports their growth in developing support services, sharing knowledge, and increasing their employability. We applaud the organisation’s outstanding efforts and wish them the very best”.

Extending a relationship of care that began in 2009, this support complements earlier support initiatives such as supporting its branch in Sohar towards the purchase of Braille printer, granting hundreds of local benefactors’ access to an endless range of reading materials. Other branches in Muscat and A’Dhakhliyah have also received valuable support from the bank.

Mr Awadh Rajab Al Shroobeya, Chairman of Al Noor Association for the Blind in Dhofar, commented, “On behalf of all our benefactors, I offer thanks to Bank Sohar for its contribution with these essential pieces of equipment. Technology is an important part of everyday life and a key tool in the accessibility of learning material and various types of leisure activities, not to mention central to the world of work. Going beyond the everyday opportunities now available to our members, the bank has facilitated communication between visually impaired people on an international scale. This is something most take for granted when using email and social media, so when you consider it from that perspective this is a very meaningful contribution.”

Bank Sohar’s support for Al Noor Association forms part of its comprehensive social outreach programme that covers a broad range of causes and nonprofit organizations. To date, the bank has supported multiple times over 30 associations under its Sohar Al Atta CSR initiatives, aiding organizations such as Oman Association for the Disabled, Association of Elderly Friends, and Association for the Welfare of Handicapped Children among others.

Al Noor Association for the Blind was registered at the Ministry of Social Development in 1997 and represents the interests of Oman’s visually impaired citizens across local communities focussing on economic participation, welfare, education, health, training, placement, and the comprehension of Braille. The association prepares and implements plans and programmes that aim to improve the quality of life for visually impaired peoples across the Sultanate.

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