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| Rota’s youth advisory board engages members of the Rota Youth Network in an advisory and ambassadorial capacity |
Inspired by HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani’s call for strong and active organisations to develop a just and caring Qatari society, Rota’s community development strategy supports the establishment of a secure and stable society operating on the principles of justice and equality.
A notable highlight of Rota’s domestic youth development programme is the annual Empower National Youth Conference, Qatar’s first ever youth-led national forum.
The third Empower 2011 inspired over 400 youth aged 14-24 through a challenging programme of keynote speeches from world-class speakers, creative workshops by leading experts, exhibitions, artistic expressions, and unrivalled networking opportunities to enable Qatar’s future leaders to develop their skills.
Rota’s youth advisory board engages 14 young and active members of the Rota Youth Network in an advisory and ambassadorial capacity. They are trained and mentored to support Rota in defining and advocating innovative solutions to education and youth development challenges using sports, environment and the Arabic language as educational tools.
The Rota Adult English literacy programme initiative helps low income migrant workers in Qatar increase their life opportunities by improving their English language ability. The programme trains volunteers, mainly students, to become literacy trainers, who deliver a 16-week English literacy course using Rota’s custom-designed curriculum.
During 2011 the programme engaged 60 student trainers and other volunteers in delivering the course to 150 workers in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University, Qatar, Georgetown University, Qatar, and Texas A&M University Qatar.
“The support provided by Rota Gala Dinner sponsors is vital in maintaining existing programmes and launching new projects in Qatar and across Asia,” said Rota director Essa al-Mannai. “We thank gold sponsor Msheireb Properties, silver sponsor Qatar Petroleum and bronze sponsor Qatar Vinyl Company for their generous contributions which are essential for Rota to reach its goal of ensuring a quality education for all,” added al-Mannai.
Qatar joins the United Kingdom, United States, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq and a host of other nations as part of a network where participants are encouraged to ‘talk globally, act locally’ as they develop personal leadership skills and youth-driven community actions.
The International Education and Resource Network (iEARN) is a non-profit organisation that connects schools and youth organisations worldwide via a virtual network designed to empower young people, encourage inter-school collaboration, and debate world issues.
iEARN-Qatar began as a pilot programme in 2008, and has grown to encompass more than 70 schools across the country. Rota supports iEARN in Qatar by offering free workshops to over 300 teachers and providing a platform for iEARN teachers and students to showcase their projects.
Rota’s Beirut19 project created an opportunity for young Qatari writers to participate in a competition involving Arab youth from 11 countries.
By organising a proactive and wide ranging programme of service learning projects including international volunteer trips, a local community volunteering programme, literacy programmes and Ramadan campaigns, Rota volunteers continue to make a positive difference in the lives of many and help strengthen Rota’s foundations in Qatari society.
Rota’s annual Ramadan Project offers volunteers and supporters a unique opportunity to participate in an exciting volunteer-driven community campaign during the Holy Month. Previous campaigns have donated food supplies to families in need, prepared and distributed hot meals, visited hospital patients and elderly residents, donated electrical household appliances and raised funds for projects in Rota focus countries.
