Moudy United – Capoeira Sport Club | 2016
Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art that combines elements of acrobatics and music to the effect of releasing energy and generating tranquility. It was first developed by Africans, and then moved to Brazil. Capoeira is performed with special Brazilian traditional songs.
Mohmood Khamis Humaid Al Oraimi, owner of the “Moudy United – Capoeira Sport Club” first came to know the sport when he travelled to Brazil and some European countries which have specialized training centres. Mahmood loved the sport and he decided to open a training centre to be the first club specialized in Capoeira in Oman. Commenting on the unique qualities of the sport, Mahmood noted, “Capoeira contributes in generating a positive spirit among practitioners; it is performed in a capoeira roda (ring). I loved the sport since I travelled to Brazil to learn it, and then I traveled to other European countries. After that I decided to open a specialised Capoeira centre here in the Sultanate. Since it is a new sport to Oman, I faced some obstacles at the beginning, but over time I was able to overcome the challenge, especially with the support I received from the Ministry of Sports Affairs.”
Mahmood Al Oraimi then increased his efforts to spread the sport in Oman. Given its importance and positive physical and mental attributes, Mahmood started to convince parents on the importance of registering their children in the centre to learn the sport. Capoeira helps in nurturing positive habits in children and improves the way they deal with others. He was successful in increasing the number of parents who registered their children in the centre, which contributed in increasing the popularity of the club, especially with the positive outcomes for the children, which amazed the parents.
Mahmood added: “Due to the positive impact on the first participants, the popularity of the centre increased, and some parents of children with physical disabilities and autism were more encouraged to sign up their children. As a result, the parents were very happy to see noticeable improvement with their children. I can give you one example of a child who was injured in a road accident; he wasn’t able to use his legs and was confined to a wheel chair. After convincing his family to bring him to the club for training he was able to regain his ability to walk after few months.”
With the rising reputation of the Capoeira club and the growing number of participants, Mahmood needed expert advice and financial support to develop the centre. The participation fees Mahmood earns from the trainees is very minimal and does not cover all the operational expenses of the club, especially as it was established for social rather than economic objectives. However, the centre needed new equipment with the rise in memberships. In order to sustain the centre economically, and to create the aspired social value, Mahmood joined Zubair SEC, which is one of the first initiatives in the Sultanate to promote and support social entrepreneurship and sustainable social impact of business.
Talking about this phase Mahmood noted: “Because of my desire to spread this sport in Oman, I treated the club as a national project that serves the community, without thinking of a complex financial model which charges high fees. With the aim of encouraging others to participate and learn this sport, I decided to provide relatively low participation fees. However, with the increasing number of participants, the operational costs of the centre increased. This sport requires special hand-made equipment which is brought in directly from Brazil. Therefore, I had to look for an organisation which will provide financial and technical support and business guidance, and I sought to become a member at Zubair SEC.”
“At Zubair SEC I got the expert advice and mentorship I needed to develop the operational and financial areas of my project. I also applied for entry into the 2016 Direct Support Programme, and I was very encouraged when I was selected to join the third round of the programme in 2016 and be entitled to a financial grant set for the social entrepreneurship category. This category recognizes a business which aims to create positive and tangible social and economic value simultaneously and sustainably. The financial grant helped me buy a number of equipment and some other specialized tools. The team at Zubair SEC helped me in developing a business plan that ensures the long-term sustainability of the project, while not losing sight of our primary objective, which is to serve the community with the sport of Capoeira.” Mahmood adds.
The Zubair SEC advisory team have put in place development plans for Mahmood’s business, including a new marketing campaign, providing special packages for companies and other institutions. The sport of Capoeira is also proving popular with institutions to boost team building relationships for employees when away from a work environment and to reduce work stress. The first institution to sign a contract with Mahmood was The Zubair Corporation, quickly followed by other leading companies in Oman. The Zubair SEC team also helped Mahmood develop an events outreach programme for private schools, as well as communicating with Al-Masarra Hospital for possible partnership to help in treating drug addiction cases by involving patients in Capoeira.
Thanking Zubair SEC for their efforts in supporting the project, Mahmood Al Oraimi said: “I benefited a lot from the consultancy provided by Zubair SEC as well as the extended financial and moral support. The business now has a clear path which will help me in achieving my goals for the benefit of the society, while being sustainable economically. Now I have a better understanding of social enterprises and best practices in managing them and growing in impact.”