The summer camp activities and events of Katara Camp got under way Sunday and will continue until August 15.
The camp takes place on Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays in the southern area of Katara the Cultural Village Foundation from 10am to 7pm, with the participation of 40 children aged between 10 and 15 years.
The camp is organised in collaboration of several entities, including the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs, Qatar Red Crescent (QRC), Al Jazeera Media Institute, Nomas Center, and Qatar Shooting For Bow and Arrow Federation.
Monday's programme includes a variety of activities and lectures presented by the Civil Defence, the Poetry Council, and the Ministry of Awqaf, along with a workshop titled "The Importance of Volunteering in Events" in addition to training for the Qatari Ardah dance. In addition, there will be visits to the Pearl Museum, and beach volleyball and badminton games.
On the first day of the camp, the participating children attended some lectures, including one from the Civil Defense about protection and safety measures. Other participating entities also delivered various lectures on different topics such as self-confidence, religious issues. Further, the children took practices a number of sports activities such as football, shooting, beach volleyball, and badminton, which were all supervised by specialized sports staff.
Mohamed al-Marri, Director of Communication and Public Relations at QRC, stressed the commitment QRC to participate at Katara Summer Camp, organising four training workshops throughout the month to familiarize 120 students aged 10-13 years with the basic first aid and proper health guidelines. This partnership reflects the shared vision between Qatar Red Crescent and Katara in promoting social, educational, and voluntary activities to build the capacities of young leaders.
Dr Abdulsalam Saleh, lecturer and researcher at the Ministry of Interior's Department of Studies and International Affairs, pointed out that the purpose of his lecture was to raise awareness among children about the importance of family bonds, religious piety, and enhancing authentic values and personal strength, which would positively influence behavior.
Ahmed al-Kuwari, from Qatar Shooting for Bow and Arrow Federation, said that this is not the first time participation in Katara's events, as they have been involved in various festivals and activities before. It aims to teach children air rifle shooting skills, and they provide mobile caravans with trainers from 5 PM to 7 PM to train children and the public interested in trying the sport. The Federation also aims to attract children with high skills to join the national team.
As for Al Jazeera Media Institute's participation in Katara Summer Camp, it offers a series of workshops with specialised trainers as part of the "Al Jazeera Ambassadors" initiative. The initiative's vision is to convey the message and values of Al Jazeera and share the experiences and skills of their employees through free training courses to empower young talents within the Arab world and beyond. The workshops cover various creative communication skills.
The main goal of Katara Summer Camp is to link educational practices with promoting Qatari identity, local customs, and traditions, contributing to the development of social, religious, and national values. Accordingly, the Maritime Museum and Beaches Department will present activities related to pearl diving, and the participants will receive valuable information during their museum visits, introducing them to maritime heritage and reviving ancestral traditions.
Further, the camp includes workshops on traditional practices such as starting a fire to make traditional coffee, coffee making methods, and the way of serving coffee to the guests and receiving them at the Qatari Majlis, besides other authentic Qatari customs and traditions such as Ardah dance.
