Ooredoo’s Goodwill Journey has kicked-off from Mussanah with a route that takes them the length and breadth of Oman, visiting 11 cities in the two-week voyage.

Dedicated to enriching the lives of people in the Sultanate, this year’s journey will foster women’s empowerment, education and self-sufficiency, as well as promoting sustainable development, said a statement.

Marking the beginning of yet another year of giving, 22 Ooredoo volunteers began the journey by celebrating the graduation of 25 local community women from an incubator programme, designed to equip them with the skills they need to succeed in business.

Working hand in hand with the Oman Women’s Association in Mussanah, Ooredoo identified and designed this unique incubator programme to spur growth within the community.

Using both in-house and external experts, the trainees underwent a series of intensive ongoing workshops where they were taught essential skills in the disciplines of beauty, IT, cooking, and sewing; skills that they can use either within their local communities or even to start up their own business enterprise.

Kumail Al Moosawi, chief people and corporate affairs officer, Ooredoo, said: “The Goodwill Journey is the cornerstone of our corporate social responsibility platform and a key event in our annual calendar. Over the last 10 years, we have been able to spread joy and put smiles on the faces of thousands of people across the country.

“This year we have taken it one step further. Our aim is not only to provide charitable contributions from us and our customers, but to invest in building the future of many men and women. Ooredoo’s support will extend to help them on their way to becoming small and medium enterprises and use their newfound expertise to enjoy a better and more prosperous tomorrow.”

Over the next week, Goodwill volunteers from the Ooredoo family will head north, stopping in Liwa, AlBuraimi, Ibri, Nizwa and Samael visiting various associations and hospitals and sharing the spirit of Ramadan with communities.

The first leg of the journey will end in Muscat on 27 June, where preparations will commence for the second leg to head South all the way to Salalah. - TradeArabia News Service