Oman Economic Review – August 2018

strives to support communities in
becoming more economically inde-
pendent by partnering in their success
across every aspect of life. As a means
of enhancing the quality of everyday
living for each community we touch,
KR’s social investment arm delivers
initiatives focussed on infrastructural
growth, youth development, monetary
and equipment donations, human cap-
ital investments, building professional
skillsets, sponsorship, research, testing,
medical advancement, outreach, women
empowerment, environment and sports.
Each area of activity encompasses the
core pillars of education, health and
community wellbeing.

Nailesh says Eshraqa strongly believes
that education is a key ingredient in
the recipe for economic sustainability,
societal harmony and individual
excellence. “We have taken the lead
under our Training Initiatives for
Nationals programme (TIN), which
generates a very measurable impact
amongst the Omani youth,” he adds.
TIN has three aspects to it, including
training for employment, which covers
vocational training and the campus
to corporate programme, training for
development, covering leadership
workshops for Omanis, and train the
trainer programmes, whilst Eshraqa
Entrepreneurship Academy supports
budding entrepreneurs find their feet in
viable yet competitive markets.

Committed to building the knowledge,
skills, and aptitude of talented
Omanis to enhance the proficiency
and competitiveness of the national
workforce, TIN supports Eshraqa’s
objective of optimising learning and
development across all trades and
professions to meet the Sultanate’s
manpower requirements. The platform
is centred on vocational training for
school graduates, entrepreneurial
guidance, coaching for leadership roles,
and sharpening skills to make people
more employable.

TIN nurtures talent from across the
Sultanate, and has to-date trained

over 1,400 Omanis, mentoring over

1,000 through the campus to corporate

leadership programme, with more than

100 entrepreneurs benefitting from

start-up weekend, and 325 youth at

INMA leadership workshops for SMEs.

Maintaining its focus on the national

workforce, Eshraqa has funded the

Omani employees of KR to attend

workshops across Asia, including

trips to Malaysia and the Indian

subcontinent, as well as other key

contributions to learning for aspiring

professionals. This has observed

collaboration with market leaders

such as Takatuf on its scholarship

programme, which offers two Omani

students a six-year international

academic studentship in Canada. The

founders of Eshraqa are also founding

members of Muscat University.

Eshraqa has been a strong supporter

of the the Environment Society of

Oman’s (ESO) annual activities such

as Omani Environment Day and Earth

Hour, geared towards implementing

eco-conscious solutions for reducing

the nation’s carbon footprint. Eshraqa

remains a dedicated supporter of the

ESO’s annual Environmental Public

Speaking Competition, providing

training for the national level

winners representing the Sultanate

at the regional finals in Dubai. The

Omani teams continue their winning

streak, at the regional environment

speaking championship for the third

consecutive year.

One modest project that KR Group takes

great pride in for its learning investment

with youth is the Sindbad Children’s

Mobile Library, a storytelling initiative

that promotes a culture of reading and

improves literacy for children across

Oman. Eshraqa has provided two new

trailers and donated 10,000 books and

colouring pads to-date.

Eshraqa plays a significant role in

enhancing the efficiency of the health

sector as an imperative foundation in

any emerging economy. Some of the

groups, associations, and initiatives

served entail interactions with the

Association for Early Intervention

for Children with Disabilities, the

Down Syndrome Association, Oman

Association of the Disabled, and the

Association for the Hearing Impaired.

Says Nailesh, “Some of our most recent

donations include 10 Braille U2 Sense

Machines for Al Noor Association

for the Blind and 15 laptops to SQU

graduates with clinically diagnosed

disabilities. Providing equipment,

sponsoring activities, contributing

to infrastructure, and enhancing the

learning of these communities has been

praised far and wide, with prospects

and people to be proud of on all sides.”

Eshraqa’s outreach programme helps

deliver critical insights on local health

care, such as Oman National Nutrition

Survey (ONNS), a first-of-its-kind

initiative undertaken in the Sultanate

under the auspices of the Ministry of

Health. Eshraqa’s partnership aimed to