• The projects included distributing sewing machines, and holding preparatory courses in sewing and embroidery.
• Fatima bint Al Naji, “QC’s project helped me secure a fixed income to ensure for myself and my family a dignified life without having to need anyone.”

10 disabled female-breadwinners benefited from the income-generating project implemented by QC in Mauritania. It included distributing sewing machines and holding preparatory courses on sewing and embroidery.

QC aims at fighting poverty, especially that among the disabled persons and the breadwinners. This project seeks to provide a fixed income to the beneficiaries through their use of the sewing machines, which were given to them after good training.

The disabilities of the benefiting female-breadwinners varied; some of them were handicapped, and others suffered from partial paralysis. 

Many Benefits

The sewing machines were delivered to the disabled women during the honoring ceremony organized by QC in cooperation with Mauritanian Association for Assisting the Handicapped, the partner responsible for the project’s implementation.  

Some of the figures who attended this ceremony are: the head of the Handicapped Persons department in the Ministry of Social Affairs, the mayor assistant of Arafat Municipality in Nouakchott, the head of the Mauritanian Association for Assisting the Handicapped, and QC’s director of Social Care department in QC’s office in Mauritania. 

Mr. Ahmed wild Wihda, Mayor Assistant, expressed his sincere gratitude for the parties which funded and implemented this project. He also expressed his hope for future similar projects so that more people would benefit from them.

Mr. Jamal wild Abdel Jaleel, Head of the Mauritanian Association for Assisting the Handicapped, said, “This kind of projects funded by QC is very important and essential. It has many benefits: it helps fighting poverty, supporting the disabled, and assisting the breadwinners. Such categories need our help and care.”

The Beneficiaries’ Commendations

After the ceremony was over, the officials distributed the sewing machines to the beneficiaries who expressed their deep joy and happiness. They said that the project was superb because it offered them training and sewing machines and that they now had jobs that could help them bring in a fixed income. This way, they said, they could ensure a dignified life for themselves and their families.

Ms. Fatima bin Al Naji, one of the beneficiaries, said, “I cannot express the amount of happiness I am feeling right now. I thank QC and its local partners and the beneficiaries who funded this project. I hope that this is the beginning of something good. Now that I am done with the training and I got a sewing machine, I think I will now embrace life happily.”

Ms. Adada bint Al Sofi said that she felt ready to start working on the sewing machine she received. She also thanked all the philanthropists who helped fund and implement this important project.

Conventional Bakeries

QC had recently implemented a group of income-generating projects in different cities and villages in Brakna, Mauritania. The projects included 8 conventional bakeries from which around 7,000 people benefited.

The bakeries have rooms for bread and dough. The most appropriate kind of ovens to equip these bakeries with was brick ovens because these areas, where the project was implemented, don’t have electricity and because bricks are found excessively and at great prices. Some of the beneficiaries would even get the bricks themselves. As for the construction of the bakeries, they were built according to modern technologies so that they would not suffer from the problems brick bakeries generally face.

The bakeries were built in several cities and villages in Brakna such as Magta-Lahjar, Sangrafaa, Tachott, Taiba, Al Hoda, and Dutti (which is very far, almost isolated).

These bakeries left great impact on the villagers who could now buy bread at cheap prices and at the quantities they desire. Bread, of course, is essential to most of the villagers – it is part of their food.  

You can donate to support such projects through the link:  Click here

Al Kuwairi,

"Coordination and cooperation between active humanitarian actors is necessary to offer better services, and humanitarian and development programs to the countries of the Sahel."

Mr. Toby Lanzer,

"We cannot stop the reasons behind the people's needs in Sahel unless we work using a methodology based on security, development and humanitarian work."

As part of the coordination between Qatari Humanitarian Organizations and OCHA, a round table meeting was held in Doha about humanitarian work in the African countries of the Sahel. Its main objectives were to review the work of the humanitarian actors, to discuss the possible cooperation, and to build partnerships in the countries of the Sahel considering the exacerbating conditions of such countries.  

Mr. Toby Lanzer, the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Sahel, and the representatives of Qatari humanitarian societies and institutions attended the meeting. The Qatari organizations included: Qatar Red Crescent, Qatar Charity, Sheikh Eid Charity, Sheikh Thani bin Abdallah for Humanitarian Services (RAF), Al Faisal Foundation, Afif Foundation, Education Above All and Silatech. All the Qatari humanitarian organizations active in the Sahel displayed their achievements there through presentations.

At the beginning of the meeting, Mr. Youssef bin Ahmed Al Kuwairi, QC's CEO, thanked all the people who attended the meeting which discussed a very important region in Africa. The Sahel includes a group of countries where Qatari charity organizations are active.

"QC pays extra attention to this region when it implements its humanitarian projects and programs. It is clear through the fact that we have 5 headquarters in Chad, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and Mauritania. Through its international and local partners, QC works in the 11 countries of the Sahel," said he.

As he also mentioned, in the last 3 years QC implemented more than 6,000 projects at a cost of around 148,000,000 QR covering most of the sectors. QC is still implementing more projects in the fields of education, health, water, sanitation, food security, livelihoods, economic empowerment and others.

Mr. Al Kuwairi stressed on the importance of cooperating and coordinating with active humanitarian organizations. "Because Qatar Charity believes in its mission and the humanitarian principles of assisting others, it is willing to coordinate and cooperate with all international, regional and local organizations so as to offer humanitarian and developmental programs and services to the countries of the Sahel."

Continuous Crises

Mr. Lanzer said that the exacerbating needs for humanitarian aid are a result of a three dimensional crisis: instability, lack of security, and climate change. "We cannot stop the reasons behind the people's needs in Sahel unless we work using a methodology based on security, development and humanitarian work. The humanitarian actors must always follow up with the deep needs of the countries of the Sahel," said he.

He highlighted the importance of cooperation between the active organizations participating in the development programs to achieve stability. Without such programs, the the need for humanitarian aids will be indefinite.

Mr. Lanzer expressed his gratitude for the Qatari humanitarian organizations and commended their work and efforts. "We thank these organizations for expressing their willingness to cooperate and coordinate. We hope that this meeting will be very successful and that the results will be as great as expected. We also hope it would bring good for the people living in the Sahel."

The work agenda of the round table included exchanging information about the work of Qatari humanitarian organizations in the Sahel, the projects in progress, and the fields they cover. It also covered the chances of cooperation and exchange of partnerships with OCHA, which is covering the humanitarian work in the Sahel. In addition, the meeting was to reinforce coordination mechanisms and exchange of information with the UN.

The African Countries of the Sahel

It is worth mentioning that the Sahel African countries comprise of 9 countries: Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Cameron, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia. Based on the studies conducted by OCHA, the Sahel is one of the most important places for the main humanitarian operation centers for the year 2016. It is expected that 23,500,000 people might suffer from the lack of security of food, healthcare, severe malnutrition, dire shortage in drinking water, malfunction in sanitation and problems in education. The armed disputes and violence made 4,500,000 people displaced.

Since QC always makes sure to offer the best humanitarian aids, it cooperates with international organizations; especially the United Nations. OCHA and QC have a distinguished relationship especially at the level of coordination.

In Mauritania, QC established and equipped a school for women from which hundreds of female students benefited.

The school was established in Trarza Region, in bi’r al Kheir Village near Boutilimit to the south of Mauritania. The school has 6 classrooms, administrative buildings where there are 5 equipped offices, and health facilities. The school’s staff consists of a principal, an assistant, 8 regular teachers, and 2 assisting teachers. 100 female students from different levels study there.

Caring for Education

Mr. Idris As-Sahil, QC’s Office Director in Mauritania, said, “QC implemented this project because it prioritizes the educational sector in all distant regions where educational institutions are not found. Schools for women need so much support, especially that this school teaches the Holy Quran, Quranic and Sharia sciences and linguistics”.

He also said that those in charge of the school aspired to adding other subjects such as mathematics, computer science and languages. “This way, students will be able to study religious and secular sciences which help learners find good jobs. The total cost of establishing the school reached 400,000 QR. We are proud to see hundreds of girls benefiting from the project,” said he.  

Need for Support

Ms. Om Kolthom bint Abah, School’s Principal, said that the school had 100 regular students, some of which had memorized the Holy Quran. “The school teaches the sciences of Tajwid, Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence, Fiqh, Language and others. The school’s board seeks to organize training courses in Computer Science, hire mathematics and English language teachers so as to offer comprehensive education,” she commented. The village’s schools do not offer formal education except for a primary school that has two classrooms only. 

“Here at school, we organize cultural contests and lectures from which most of the villagers benefit. However, the school still needs more improvement, especially the teacher’s salaries, equipment and books. We appreciate QC and the Qatari philanthropists for the valuable aids they offer to the needy people around the world. We thank them for helping us,” she concluded.

Commendations

The school’s students and teachers commended the performance of the school and thanked QC and the Qatari philanthropists for their efforts to spread science and help the needy around the world.

Somaya bint Mohammed, a student who memorized around half of the Quran, said, “I am very happy at school. I learned a lot about the sciences of Tajwid and Quran. The school offers us comfortable classes and facilities that helped us attend school regularly. The teachers follow distinguished methodologies that help students understand and memorize.

In addition, Fatima bin Mohammed Mawlood, Teacher of Quran Memorization and Tajwid at school, said that they teach several levels and classes. “Some girls memorize one, two or more pages every day; some memorize less because of their age. They learn Quranic sciences, too.

On a two-day visit, a delegation from QC handed the keys of more than 100 houses to the Mauritanian families benefiting from ‘Social Housing’ Project. The delegation included His Excellency Sheikh Hamad bin Nasser bin Jassim Al thani and Mr. Yousef bin Ahmed al Kuwairi, QC’s CEO.

The keys were handed to the beneficiaries in Nouakchott and Rakiz, 200 km from the Capital. The delegation was accompanied by the Ambassador of Qatar in Mauritania Mr. Abdul Rahman bin Ali Al Kibisi and Mr. Idris As-Sahil, QC’s Office Director in Mauritania. A lot of figures and benefiting families received the delegation when they arrived. 

In 2015, QC spent 25,000,000 QR on the projects it implemented in Mauritania. More than 153,000 people from different regions benefited from the projects, groups with low income in particular.

The projects covered different fields such as health, education, income-generating projects, sanitation, relief, water, sponsorship (of orphans, disabled persons, preachers and imams) and others.

You can donate to support such projects through the link: Click here