Muscat: An agreement was signed today to support the financing of the construction of an investment building for the Al Rahma Association for Motherhood and Childhood Care. The agreement stems from an initiative codenamed 'Al Khair Wafi' (The Bounty is Abundant) and was signed by Sohar Aluminium, Oman India Fertiliser Company (OMIFCO), and Al Rahma Association for Motherhood and Childhood Care.

According to Oman News Agency, the initiative constitutes a step that reflects the growing role of the private sector in boosting development partnerships with a sustainable impact. The agreement was signed during a ceremony held under the auspices of Sheikh Rashid Ahmed Al Shamsi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Development for Family Affairs and Community Development.

The agreement provides for the construction of a commercial investment building whose proceeds will go entirely to the Al Rahma Association to help generate a sustainable financial resource offering support for orphan sponsorship programmes, educational, rehabilitation, and social programmes. It is envisaged to enhance the association's ability to plan its services, in lieu of full dependence on donations.

The building will occupy an area of 5,492 square metres. It will consist of six floors housing commercial, residential, and office units. The project seeks to serve more than 1,100 orphans from different governorates of the Sultanate of Oman. It will offer a sustainable financial resource that supports childcare programmes and enhances the association's ability to respond to the growing needs of the beneficiary groups.

The project is in pursuance of Al Rahma Association's approach to develop a sustainable model for financing orphan care programmes. It embodies a shift in the concept of social responsibility, from provisional support to sustainable investment. It aims to channel contributions into investment projects that are capable of generating constant value.

'Al Khair Wafi' initiative first emerged as a volunteering initiative launched by a group of female entrepreneurs with the aim of supporting orphans, before it developed into an investment endowment project aimed at developing a sustainable financial resource to support the programmes of the Al Rahma Association.