Friday 03 / May / 2024
Muscat: 82,215 cases of social security and low-income people have benefited from Ministry of Social Development programmes and activities at a cost of OMR 4.982 million.
During its media meeting, the Ministry of Social Development reviews the most important achievements, indicators, plans and future aspirations of the various sectors provided by the Ministry, namely social care and protection, persons with disabilities, family and community development, civil volunteer work, partnership and social responsibility.
Her Excellency: "The number of registered persons with disabilities who hold disability card are 52,455, and the most important achievements in this sector are the opening of the National Center for Autism, and there are 33 initiatives that came out of the Laboratory for Development of Services and Programmes for People with Disabilities."
Her Excellency added: "124 specialists were appointed in the fields of autism rehabilitation, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and vocational rehabilitation, and 7,897 people benefited from prosthetic devices and supportive services provided to persons with disabilities last year."
Her Excellency explained that the most important future initiatives and plans of the Ministry of Social Development for the year 2024 is the launch of the “Tasmu” initiative. THe initiative will consist of 50 women who hold supervisory positions in the government and private sectors and civil society institutions. They will work to organise volunteer work in the Sultanate through the Omani platform for volunteers. They will also establish the Department of Voluntary Work and Social Development Committees, which will work on the national programme for social responsibility governance. An electronic platform will also be created to manage the governance system for social responsibility programmes, and the integrated early childhood development centers project.
Her Excellency revealed that 42 cases were enabled to open home projects during the year 2023 with financial support of OMR 24,000, and the launch of the “Makasab” electronic platform to support productive family projects, and local temporary marketing outlets for 86 productive families in 19 exhibitions. In addition the ministry has organised an exhibition for productive families “Empowerment and Upliftment” with the participation of 59 productive families and 9 productive families participated in international exhibitions.
Her Excellency said that the Ministry implemented 2,202 campaigns to combat begging during the year 2023, resulting in the arrest of 156 cases, and a number of media campaigns to reduce bullying among children and combat violence against women.
Her Excellency the Minister of Social Development revealed that among the most important projects of the Ministry supported by Social Responsibility are the Cadre programme to help struggling students to complete their university studies. Stabilisation Programme to distribute basic electrical appliances to families in need, scholarships for general diploma graduates in the fields of rehabilitation of persons with disabilities. And the Innovation Center at children welfare centers and youth homes, building green greenhouses in rehabilitation centers, and providing prosthetic devices for people with disabilities. In addition, a project to design, implement and maintain a solar energy system for 32 buildings of Omani women’s associations.
