Qatar Charity (QC) has opened its new headquarters in Niger’s capital Niamey, it was announced yesterday.
The ceremony was organised under the auspices of the minister of state for planning and development of Niger and the event included a review of QC’s most important achievements since its foray into the country in 2007.
The ministers of agriculture, higher education and scientific research, a number of ambassadors, including those of Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, Libya, Mali, Burkina Faso, officials of a number of United Nations organisations, Western, Arab, and other international and local organisations, heads of villages benefiting from QC activities, as well as a large number of QC sponsored orphans and their mothers were present.
Jassim Abdullah Jassim, adviser to QC’s chief executive officer, Yousef bin Ahmed al-Kuwari, said establishing Qatar Charity headquarters in Niger is a reflection of the genuine will of the organisation to support the efforts of the field office and help them serve the people of Niger and improve the living conditions of needy groups in society.
He recalled that prior to the opening of the headquarters, Niger staff were forced to constantly move from one neighbourhood to another.
Jasim expressed his heartfelt thanks to the Government of Niger for their support of QC as well as to all those who attended the ceremony.
Ibrahim Adamu, development director in the Ministry of Planning, explained that he hoped other humanitarian organisations would in time have their own offices in Niger.
“The development department in the Ministry of Planning follows with great attention Qatar Charity’s interventions that focus on the same concerns as the government; food security, education, health and social care for the disadvantaged,” Adamu said.
“What distinguishes Qatar Charity interventions from those of other organisations is that they touch people directly and meet their most urgent needs in areas such as provision of safe drinking water, classrooms, sponsoring orphans, families and students,” he added.
QC’s programmes have benefited hundreds of thousands of Nigerians, with over 660 infrastructure projects implemented, including around 280 mosques, 160 wells, 100 classrooms, 16 dispensaries, 37 multi-service centres, 30 housing units and 28 Qur’anic schools.
QC has also carried out income-generating activities including providing 95 cereal banks and support for about 42,000 farmers.
Over 6,000 sheep and cattle were provided for farming, 1,200 commercial projects funded, 34 grain mills, 88 carts and 180 sewing machines were distributed.
 Thirty training courses to support the capacity of rural communities were also carried out, Ramadan food baskets were distributed and sacrificial meat at Eid for the benefit of more than 575,000 people.
QC sponsors in Niger around 650 orphans, seven poor families, three students and four handicapped people and 23 preachers.