BMMI continues support of Alia for Early Intervention

In a gathering at the centre's premises in Sitra, a cheque was handed to Haidy Haleem, Administrative & Educational Supervisor at Alia by Yasmin Hussain, Corporate Brand & Social Responsibility Executive at BMMI.

A total of 105 special needs children currently attend Alia, but thanks to a newly added extension to its school premises, student capacity will soon increase by as much as a third.

"In the past, despite holding morning and afternoon classes to maximize our resources, we still had at least 331 students on the waiting list as we struggled to find space to accommodate them all," explains Haidy. "With the new extension, we can now take on more students. This, however, comes at a price as we now find ourselves with significantly higher overheads. Thankfully, the generous donation from BMMI will go a long way in helping us to stay afloat. The management and staff at Alia sincerely appreciate the commitment of BMMI to help us provide our students with the best education possible. They have been extremely supportive ever since the school opened its doors and we hope that they will continue to stand by us in the years to come."

Plans are also underway to continue the BMMI internship programme for Alia students for the third year running. As part of a special vocational initiative, students will be given an opportunity to practice basic skills they have acquired at Alia, such as photocopying, filing, stocking shelves and labelling merchandise at the BMMI Head Office in Sitra and at Alosra supermarkets. They will also be able to hone their social skills, which is a vital aspect for their eventual reintegration into mainstream schools.

"The Alia team plays a crucial role of reaching out to young children with learning disabilities and enabling them to lead fulfilled lives, and BMMI is proud to support them in any way we can," said Yasmin. "It is amazing how intelligent and industrious these young minds are and we are glad to assist, be it through financial aid or practical help. Judging by the great feedback from employees last year, this initiative not only has a positive influence on the students but on employee morale as well."