Qatari Humanitarian Organizations Meet to discuss Cooperation in the African Countries of the Sahel

• 540 orphans have benefited from the activities of the two camps
• The most important events of the camps included: lessons from the Holy Qur'an, cultural contests, sports, entertaining activities, and medical examinations

For the benefit of hundreds of its sponsored orphans, Qatar Charity held two educational camps in Burkina Faso and the Comoros Islands. 

Bobo-Dioulasso Camp

Qatar Charity's ten day long camp in Bobo-Dioulasso was the first in Burkina Faso in 2015. It was organized under the slogan “Akhlaqi Ser Najahi” (My Morals are the Reason of My Success) for the benefit of 250 orphans.

Promoting Values

As part of Qatar Charity's activities to spread the spirit of communication and brotherhood among the orphans, this camp was held to educate the orphans according to modern and moderate Islamic teachings. It was also held to train them live a complementary Islamic life by promoting values, altruism, cooperation and forgiveness.

Saved from Getting Lost

The sponsored orphans and the supervising teachers commended Qatar Charity's role in Burkina Faso. They expressed their appreciation for Qatar Charity's help in wiping the tears of so many poor children after the death of their fathers. Qatar Charity has saved so many lives from getting lost, being hungry and going astray.  It has helped them to lead a dignified life and helped in educating them. The beneficiaries also thanked Qatar Charity and its philanthropists.

Mr. Mohammed Al-Nawaiti, Qatar Charity’s Office Director in Burkina Faso, emphasized the relief this project made him feel and how it was part of Qatar Charity's projects and programs that are dedicated to the orphans of Burkina Faso and their education.

The Camp’s Events

Qatar Charity's Social Care Department was responsible for organizing this camp, which included different events such as lectures, lessons from the Holy Qur'an, activities, cultural contests, sports, and entertaining games. The camp revolved around everything fun and beneficial.

Ngazidja (Grande Comore) Island           

Qatar Charity also held a camp for the first time in Ngazidja through its office in the Comoros Islands for the orphans living there. The five day long camp had 200 orphans (10 – 12 years) benefiting; 175 of which were males, 25 were females.

It also included different activities starting with medical examinations for all of the participants, tutorials in the basic subjects (according to the levels of the orphans), memorization of some of the chapters of the Holy Qur'an, cultural activities, sports activities and different contests.

A Day of Entertainment

Because Qatar Charity pays extra attention to the orphans, it also recently organized an entertaining and educational day for the benefit of 250 sponsored orphans before school started in Burkina Faso. Qatar Charity distributed school bags and kids clothes.

Other Projects

Qatar Charity has lately implemented 300 income-generating projects from which the poor and unemployed have benefited in Burkina Faso. The projects ranged from agriculture and animal husbandry to traditional handicrafts.

Qatar Charity’s projects goals reinforce the implementation of small and medium-sized enterprises. They offer the target beneficiaries sustained job opportunities, which are expected to help provide a dignified life for the beneficiaries. These projects included passing the ownership of 100 dairy cattle calves, 150 sewing machines, 40 ploughs with carriages and 7 grain mills to at-risk families in Burkina Faso at a cost of 560,000 QR.  More than 2,000 people have benefited from such projects in the neediest cities, villages and slums in Burkina Faso

Under the existing dire economic conditions, Qatar Charity's projects target youth and women’s associations, female breadwinners, widows and female divorcee breadwinners

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

• 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

الكواري:

ان التنسيق والتعاون بين الأطراف الإنسانية الفاعلة مطلبا مهما من أجل تقديم الخدمات والبرامج الإنسانية والتنموية في دول الساحل

السيد توبي لانزر:

• لا يمكن التصدي للدوافع المتعددة للاحتياجات الحادة في منطقة الساحل إلا من خلال نهج متماسك ينبني على أسس المزايا النسبية للأمن والتنمية والعمل الانساني.

في اطار تنسيق الجهود بين المنظمات الانسانية القطرية و مكتب الأمم المتحدة لتنسيق الشؤون الإنسانية (OCHA)، تم عقد اجتماع طاولة مستديرة حول العمل الإنساني في دول الساحل الإفريقي بمدينة الدوحة، وذلك من أجل التعرف على عمل الفاعلين ومناقشة سبل التعاون في مجال العمل الانساني وبناء الشراكات في بلدان الساحل لتصاعد الاحتياجات الانسانية لتلك الدول.

حضر اجتماع الطاولة المستديرة السيد توبي لانزر المساعد الخاص للأمين العام للأمم المتحدة لشؤون دول الساحل، وممثلون عن الجمعيات والمؤسسات الإنسانية القطرية، والتي شملت كل من: الهلال الأحمر القطري، قطر الخيرية، مؤسسة الشيخ عيد الخيرية، مؤسسة الشيخ ثاني بن عبد الله للخدمات الإنسانية(راف)، الفيصل بلا حدود، مؤسسة الاصمخ للاعمال الخيرية "عفيف"، التعليم فوق الجميع، صلتك، وقد استعرضت جميع المؤسسات القطرية العاملة في الحقل الانساني من خلال عروض تقديمية جهودها الخيرية في دول الساحل.

و في بداية اللقاء توجه السيد يوسف بن أحمد الكواري، الرئيس التنفيذي لقطر الخيرية بالشكر والتقدير لجميع من استجاب وشارك وحضر هذا الاجتماع الذي تناول منطقة مهمة في إفريقيا، ألا وهي دول الساحل التي تضم مجموعة من الدول التي تعمل فيها المنظمات الخيرية القطرية.

وأشار بأن قطر الخيرية تولي هذه المنطقة أهمية كبيرة في أعمالها وأنشطتها وبرامجها الإنسانية، وكدليل على هذا الاهتمام والحرص، نوه بأن لقطر الخيرية 5 مكاتب رئيسية في عدد من هذه الدول، وهي: تشاد، النيجر، مالي، بوركينا فاسو وموريتانيا، موضحا بأن  قطر الخيرية تعمل كذلك من خلال شركائها الدوليين والمحليين في جميع دول الساحل الإحدى عشر.

وأضاف بأن قطر الخيرية قد نفذت خلال السنوات الثلاث الاخيرة في هذه الدول أكثر من 6000 مشروع بقيمة إجمالية بلغت بحدود 148 مليون ريال قطري شملت أغلب القطاعات، ولازالت تنفذ العديد من المشاريع في العديد من القطاعات؛ كالتعليم والصحة والمياه والإصحاح والأمن الغذائي وسبل العيش والتمكين الاقتصادي وغيرها من المجالات المختلفة.

وشدد الكواري على أن التنسيق والتعاون بين الأطراف الإنسانية الفاعلة مطلبا مهما ينبغي علينا جميعا الحرص عليه، وعليه فإن قطر الخيرية إنطلاقا من رسالتها والمبادئ الإنسانية التي تؤمن بها لتؤكد على استعدادها للتعاون والتنسيق مع جميع المنظمات الدولية والإقليمية والمحلية الإنسانية من أجل تقديم الخدمات والبرامج الإنسانية والتنموية في دول الساحل.

أزمات متجددة

ومن جانبه صرح السيد توبي لانزر المساعد الخاص للأمين العام للأمم المتحدة لشؤون دول الساحل بأن تصاعد الاحتياجات الانسانية هو نتيجة أعراض ازمة ثلاثية الابعاد، وهي عدم الاستقرار وانعدام الامن وتغيير المناخ التي ابتليت بها منطقة الساحل، مشيرا إلى أنه لا يمكن التصدي للدوافع المتعددة  للاحتياجات الحادة في منطقة الساحل إلا من خلال نهج متماسك ينبني على أسس المزايا النسبية للأمن والتنمية والعمل الانساني.

ونوه، بأنه وبالنظر إلى حجم الاحتياجات والتحديات، يجب أن يتسم عمل المتدخلين بشعور متجدد بالحاجة الملحة، مؤكدا بأن دور الأمم المتحدة لشؤون دول الساحل مستعدة للعمل بشكل بناء وتعاوني مع الدول والمنظمات المشاركة في برامج التنمية وتحقيق الاستقرار والتي بدونها ستظل المساعدات الانسانية مطلوبة إلى أجل غير مسمى.

وأعرب المساعد الخاص للأمين العام للأمم المتحدة لشؤون دول الساحل في نهاية تصريحه اعن شكره وتقديره للمنظمات الانسانية القطرية على ابداء حسن نيتها للتعاون والتنسيق، آملا  أن يكلل الاجتماع بالنجاح والتوفيق وأن تكون النتائج بالمستوى المطلوب وأن تنعكس بصورة إيجابية على شعوب منطقة الساحل الافريقي.

وتناولت أجندة الطاولة المستديرة تبادل المعلومات حول عمل المنظمات الانسانية القطرية في منطقة الساحل والمشاريع الحالية ومجالات تركيزها،  كما تطرق الاجتماع إلى فرص التعاون وتبادل الشراكات مع مكتب تنسيق الشؤون الانسانية لمنطقة دول السحل(OCHA)، كما تم التعرف على أهم التحديات التي تواجه الفاعلين في العمل الانساني في منطقة الساحل، و تعزيز آليات التنسيق وتبادل المعلومات مع منظمات الامم المتحدة .

دول الساحل الافريقي

تجدر الاشارة إلى أن دول الساحل الافريقي تتكون من تسعة دول هي: تشاد، النيجر، نيجيريا، الكاميرون، بوركينافاسو، مالي، موريتانيا، السنغال وغامبيا، وبناء على دراسات مكتب الامم المتحدة للشؤون الانسانية، تظل منطقة دول الساحل واحدة من مراكز العمليات الانسانية الرئيسية في العالم في عام 2016م ، ومن المتوقع أن يعاني 23،5 مليون شخص من انعدام الأمن الغذائي والرعاية الصحية ومن سوء التغذية الحاد،  ونقص المياه الصالحة للشرب والصرف الصحي، والتعليم ، كما اجبرت النزاعات المسلحة والعنف الشديد والعمليات العسكرية 4.5 مليون شخص على النزوح.

و يشار إلى أن قطر الخيرية تؤكد على تعاونها مع المنظمات الدولية وخاصة الأمم المتحدة،، لما لهذا التعاون من نتائج إيجابية تنعكس على واقع العمل الإنساني الدولي، وهنالك علاقة متميزة بين قطر الخيرية ومكتب الامم المتحدة لتنسيق الشؤون الإنسانية (OCHA)، خاصة على مستوى التنسيق.

Water projects are a priority in Niger because 50% of its people do not have clean water
QC's offices own water-well drillers in Somalia, Niger, Burkina Faso and Sudan, which reinforces their work in the water and sanitation sectors.

In 2015, QC was able to drill 70 wells in Niger through which it provided drinking water to 35,750 families and the cattle they own at a cost of around 2,500,000 QR.

The water in Niger, where the climate is dry, is considered one of the severest problems its inhabitants suffer from. 50 % of its people do not get drinking water. Therefore, water projects are a priority for Niger and other humanitarian organizations, including QC. 

Great Needs

Mr. Mohammed Taher Al Sweibqi, QC's Office Director in Niger, said that the water projects QC implemented in Niger saved the lives of so many families. "QC's water projects provided drinking water for multiple regions where the total number of beneficiaries reached 35,750 families. The cattle the families own and the surrounding areas benefited as well," added he.

Mr. Al Sweibqi thanked the philanthropists and donors from Qatar who have been very generous with the donations they make. "Your donations help revive the cities where the wells are dug, where the rate of poverty reached 60%. The Nigerians' need for drinking water is still great, which is why more donations should be made," said he.

The drilled wells vary to include artesian aquifers and shallow wells; some wells are supplied with solar energy, others with electricity. These wells were drilled in several areas such as Zinder, Maradi, Tillabéri, and Dosso; the distances between these areas and Niamey differ and the farthest of some is 1,000 Km. Plus, 6 wells were drilled in Niamey, the Capital.  

Teachers' Institutes

Some wells are drilled to meet the needs of the schools, institutes, and the surrounding areas. Mr. Al Sweibqi participated in the official opening ceremony of a training institute for the teachers in Niamey. He was accompanied by Aïssata Issoufou Mahamadou, the First Lady, the Minister of Education and a number of officials after QC had drilled a well supplied with solar energy at the same institute.

During the opening, Niger's Minister of Education said, "The artesian aquifer project QC implemented in the institute for training teachers came as a real solution to the water problem the institute and the people surrounding it used to suffer from. I sincerely thank QC for its efforts. It helped so many people overcome such a severe problem."

Private Drillers

QC's implementation of water projects was reinforced in the beginning of 2015 when the office bought a German driller to dig artesian aquifers. The driller was of high quality and specifications. It cost 1,500,000 QR. A training course was organized for the workers and the people responsible for the driller in order to reinforce QC's efforts in Niger. The driller contributed to the increase in the number of drilled wells QC is planning to dig in the following years, and it will also contribute to the reduction of costs.

It is worth noting that in 2014, QC drilled more than 45 different types of wells; some had manual pumps, some depended on electricity and others on solar energy. The total cost of the implementation of these wells was around 2,100,000 QR. The number of beneficiaries exceeded 35,600 people. In addition, the total number of drilled wells until the end of 2014 reached 264 at a total cost of more than 9,000,000 QR from which around 318,170 people benefited.

QC's offices own water-well drillers in Somalia, Niger, Burkina Faso and Sudan which reinforces their work in the water and sanitation sectors. Many wells were drilled using these drillers to secure drinking water for the beneficiaries. 

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

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