• 7,000 low-income workers benefited from the first market; the second market will be inaugurated on Friday 

As QC’s charity markets greatly developed, ‘Taif’ project is preparing for its second charity market on Friday in Barwa AlBaraha, in the Industrial Area.

This market is an application of the agreement already signed between QC’s ‘Taif’ and Barwa Company ‘Waseef’. 13,000 workers at Barwa Company benefited from the project. The first market received all the company’s workers who wished to buy their needs at nominal and suitable prices. It was held last year from the 25th of September until the 1st of October.

A Periodic Market

In this market, Taif, in-kind donation management, displays the in-kind donations it had already collected which include cloths, domestic appliances, machines, toys, electronic devices, cell phones and other basic needs. It helps the workers get everything they need at good prices.

This market is held periodically at Baraha in the Industrial Area. This market is considered to be the fruit of the already-signed agreement between QC and Waseef.

The Best Deed

Mr. Amer Al Besiri, Director of In-Kind Donations Management at ‘QC’s Taif’, said, “This charity market, which QC launched through its project ‘Taif’, is essential to what QC believes in. Low-income people are always on the top of our priority list. We always seek to change their lives to the better, and to make things easier for them. I stand here calling for all the workers at Barwa Company, come to the market. Buy whatever you need; we offer products at nominal prices. You should also know that by coming to the market and buying, you yourselves do charity work because all the revenues will be invested in other charity projects. We also highlight the fact that today it’s Barwa Company, but, God willing, in the future our markets will include a number of other institutions and companies. What we aspire for is that the largest number of workers, in general, and low-income ones, in particular, will benefit from our projects.”

He ended his speech stating that this market was a great development in ‘Taif’ project which normally holds charity markets for the public.

Exhibitions

The exhibitions and markets QC’s Taif holds are a great opportunity to help low-income people and to get funding for other charity projects. It’s a lot like catching two birds with one stone: more buyers means more charity work and more beneficiaries.  

Through its different exhibitions across the country, Taif offers different services; during Ramadan, for example, it’s always open to serve the low-income people and to address their needs.

‘Taif’ project offers 7 exhibitions and a charity market in which it displays clothes, mattresses, domestic appliances. In the Industrial Area only, there are 3 exhibitions: the Industrial exhibitions on street 48, on street 5, and on street 47.

There are also other markets in different areas across the country such as Sunbula Charity Exhibition in Thursday and Friday Market, Barwa Village exhibition in Barwa village, Mesaieed exhibition in Mesaieed city, Al Khor Exhibition in Al Khor city, and Weekly Charity Market in Aziziya  (Aspire Zone). All of these markets are always held except for the weekly market which is only held on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. 

• Providing medical consultations and free medicines for 2,000 registered patients
• Distributing more than 400 free eyeglasses to the workers
• Naji Abd ar-Rab Al Aji: "The health camp represents an excellent example for the officials' cooperation in order to reinforce the feeling of social responsibility".

Friends Cultural Center, one of QC's Developmental Centers, and the Indian Doctors Club at Tariq bin Ziad School for Boys organized the thirteenth Health Charity Camp for the Asian communities residing in Qatar. More than 4,500 people benefited from this camp. It was held under the auspices of the Supreme Council of Health, Primary Health Care Corporation, and Hamad Medical Corporation; and was sponsored by Ooredoo.

125 doctors, more than 250 medical assistants, nurses and technicians, and hundreds of volunteers participated in the camp.

The inauguration Committee included Ms. Fatima Al Kuwairi, Ooredoo Director of Public Affairs and Community Services; Ms. Mariam Yassin Al Hamadi, Primary Healthcare Corporate Communication CEO; Major Ibrahim Al Samih, Drug Control Standing Committee General Secretary; Mr. Khalifa Al Yahri, Public Affairs Director Assistant at Hamad Medical Corporation; Dr. Samir Muban, Head of the Indian Doctors Club in Qatar; Mr. R. K Singh, Convoy President Deputy in the Indian Embassy in Doha; Dr. Mohammed Abdu ar-Rahman an-Nour, from the Supreme Council of Health; Dr. Mubashir Abu Bakr Abd Faraj, Head of the Department of Communicable Diseases Control Supreme Council of Health Deputy; Brigadier Hamed Al Yafie; Mr. Ali Al Gharib, Head of the Local Developmental Centers at QC; and Mr. Ayman Bikhairi, Deputy Headmaster at Tariq bin Ziad High School.

Mr. Al Aji commended the efforts of everyone who worked on making the camp successful and emphasized the importance of providing healthcare to everyone. “It is an extraordinary activity. We thank the Social Affairs Ministry for its support to such humanitarian events. These kinds of activities are a good sign for achieving the goals of Qatar 2030 vision,” said he.

For his part, Mr. Abdul Nasser Al Zahr Al Yafie, QC’s Local Development CEO, said, “Holding this camp is part of QC’s effective communication with the communities residing in Qatar. It is one of so many other ways to guarantee public health.”

Awareness Lectures

This time’s health camp was entitled “From Farm to Plate: Food Is Healthier”. The camp provided all the necessary facilitations for diagnosis and examination. Furthermore, it raised the visitors’ awareness through holding awareness sessions. Mainly, the targeted category was the Asian communities in order to emphasize the importance of eating healthy food that is free from harmful components. The camp also stressed the importance of mental health, and commitment to a good lifestyle which includes exercise. The communities should benefit from the healthcare services provided by the country where they reside, as well.  

2,000 registered people with low income from different Asian nationalities benefited from the project. They underwent medical tests for blood pressure, blood sugar, Cholesterol, and oral cancer. Plus, their eyes were examined. They had a electromyogram and were examined via ultrasound. They received free medications for general diseases as prescribed by doctors. In addition, more than 400 eyeglasses were distributed for free. 

During the camp, hundreds of men and women benefited from the awareness lectures which were delivered by medical specialists. They spoke about different topics such as Sunshine Vitamin: the Truth Vs the Myth, Diseases Resulting from Wrong Lifestyle, Dangers of Diabetes, Mental Health, and Women’s Daily Healthcare.

In an effort to promote a healthy labour force in Qatar, Mall of Qatar, Carrefour Qatar and Al Rayyan Water have partnered with Qatar Charity for the launch of phase one of “Suqia” – a powerful initiative designed to help workers involved in outdoor projects ‘Beat the Heat’. The campaign aims to encourage healthy lifestyles among Qatar’s large construction workforce – whose members play a pivotal role in building the nation’s word-class infrastructure.

Qatar Charity organised cool water trucks to distribute more than 11,000 water bottles provided by Carrefour to Mall of Qatar workers, and delivered compelling lectures about the importance of hydration in a variety of languages.  “We would like to extend our gratitude to our valued partners, Mall of Qatar, Carrefour and Al Rayyan Water for their cooperation in this initiative, and, more specifically, for the inherent care, respect and warmth that they continue to display towards Qatar’s valued workers,” said Ali Al Gharib, Director of Programs and Centers at Qatar Charity. “We are also thankful for the workers’ participation in this initiative. We hope that this project will serve as a token of our appreciation and a testament to our gratitude for their vast contribution to our magnificent country.”

Rony Mourani, General Manager at Mall of Qatar said: “For us to join forces with Qatar Charity and Carrefour to raise awareness about heat stress, and to educate workers on how they can combat its effects by staying hydrated and healthy through the 'BEAT THE HEAT’ awareness campaign, is paramount to our core values for the health and welfare of our workforce. All the people working on this remarkable project play a pivotal role in its success, and it is our responsibility to ensure that the highest safety standards are maintained during these hot summer months. We would like to extend our gratitude to both Qatar Charity and Carrefour for being a part of this refreshing initiative.”

Laurent Hausknecht, Country Manager Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain at Carrefour, Majid Al Futtaim Retail commented: “We are proud to be participating in the ‘Beat the Heat’ campaign. This initiative marks our first collaboration with Mall of Qatar and we are delighted to create great moments, for everyone, everyday to the – workers – most of whom spend long hours under the sun – after all, educating them about the dangers of heat stress is critical to their health. The fact that we have already managed to distribute over 11,000 bottles is a first step in the right direction and moving ahead, we look forward to many more.”

Workers, who were the direct benefactors of Beat the Heat campaign, expressed their delight with the fact that such initiatives are being undertaken. They also valued the different types of interactions carried out by various charitable organisations and corporations in Qatar.