QC officials briefing the media about the Ramadan campaign yesterday.
Qatar Charity (QC) will carry out Ramadan projects valued at QR35mn for the benefit of around 1,766,000 people, both in Qatar and abroad this year.
Around 450,000 people in Qatar will benefit from the campaign, representing an increase of 120,000 from last year. The total number of beneficiaries, both in Qatar and abroad, has increased by more than 600,000 people.
The cost of QC Ramadan projects outside amounts to QR23,766,000, benefiting 1,316,000 people in 35 countries.
QC CEO Yusuf bin Ahmed al-Kuwari, local development executive manager Ibrahim Abdulla al-Muhannadi and support department director Ahmed Saleh al-Ali announced the details yesterday.
Al-Kuwari pointed out that Ramadan campaign comes in conjunction with the launch of QC’s ‘Everything they had’ campaign which aims to raise funds for relief projects for the Syrian people, as well as the development of the poorest and most vulnerable communities around the world in the fields of education, income-generation, water, food and sponsorships.
The focus this year is on Syrian people observing the Ramadan fast, particularly the internally displaced and those living as refugees in the neighbouring countries of Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq, as well as residents of Islamic countries and regions which suffer from siege, drought or natural disasters such as Palestine and Somalia.
The projects include Iftars (breakfast meals), food baskets, financial aid, clothing and other necessities, Zakat al-Fitr, Eid gifts, support for orphans and educational and cultural programmes.
There will also be a number of new projects this Ramadan, such as the ‘Take your adornment’ project targeting 2,000 labourers and people on low-income. They will be provided with clothes and perfumes. The project is valued at QR200,000.
Another new project is the ‘Iftar Tables’, which will benefit 174,000 fasting persons by providing Iftar at 10 group tables across the country, focusing on single workers and passers-by, at a total cost of over QR5,135,000.
Tables will be located at Al Khor Industrial Area, Abdullah bin Ali al-Misnad secondary school at Al Khor, Farij Abdulaziz School, Ahmad Ibn Hanbal School in Najma, Al-Yarmouk School in Bin Omran, the Arabic Club in New Salata Al-Asiri, Al-Syliyah, Al Rayan, Shahaniyaha and Wakra.
The initiative ‘Fieh Al-Afiah’ aims to provide Iftars for families with limited income through a contract with productive families who will supply meals at a nominal charge. It seeks to support 50 productive families and low-income families at a cost of around QR320,000, benefiting 7,500 people.
‘Ramadan supplies,’ to be implemented at a cost of around QR400,000, will see distribution of parcels containing basic food items to 1,000 low-income families in various neighbourhoods via coupons available at commercial complexes as a gift from QC at the beginning of the holy month.
‘Mobile Breakfast’ is distribution of snacks prepared by productive families for motorists who are unable to reach their homes to break the fast. The project aims to benefit around 9,000 people at a total cost of around QR365,000.
‘Supporting expatriate communities Iftar tables’ and initiative for Arab and Muslim expatriate communities in Qatar, will benefit around 10,000 fasting people at a cost of more than QR 215,000.
‘Giving water for the worshipers’ involves the distribution of 350ml bottles of cold water during the Taraweeh prayers. Around 5,376 people are expected to benefit per day, or 161,280 beneficiaries throughout Ramadan, at a cost of about QR220,000.
‘Ramadan gift’ involves QC distributing cash to 1,000 households of families with little or no income, as well as widows and divorced women, the sick and orphans, at a cost of QR1,111,000.
‘Zakat al-Fitr’ targets 1,000 families in Qatar with limited income and debts, widows and divorced women, the sick, the elderly and orphans, at a cost of QR555,000. One of the objectives of the project is to ease the burden for families registered at QC during Eid.
Projects benefiting the family (Al-Baraha) have been expanded to cover Shahaniya and Al Khor areas and will run throughout the holy month as opposed to the last ten-days as it was done last year. They are expected to benefit 24,000 persons at a cost of around QR950,000.
A special radio programme airing the Holy Qur’an is being implemented in Qatar at a cost of QR183,000. It will be divided into two parts; one for adults and one for children. The programme, scheduled to air every week on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday from 10:30 to 11:30 pm, is expected to attract around 60,000 listeners.
QC Ramadan projects outside Qatar targets benefiting around 1,316,000 persons at an estimate cost of QR23,766,000.
The distribution of Zakat al-Fitr, valued at about QR3,000,000, is expected to benefit more than 185,000 individuals in 35 countries. There will be also cash assistance to needy families and orphans in 33 countries at a cost of QR8,500,000, for the benefit 62,000 people.
New ways of donation
Qatar Charity (QC) has introduced a number of new methods of donation during the holy month of Ramadan, allowing donors to choose the one that best suits them.
The methods include: automated coupons, an electronic device located in major shopping centers that allow people to donate different amounts to different projects when they are paying for their shopping. The cashier will deduct the amount to be donated in cash or by credit card after entering a coupon code that was donated during the shopping process.
QC website: Donors could visit QC website at www.qcharity.org, click on the electronic donation button and choose the campaign they would like to donate to and the amount . Instructions are available in both Arabic and English.
Via the mobile phone app ‘Best of my Work’ (Khairu A’mali) which is available on Blackberry and Android and allows people to donate by credit card or SMS once or periodically.
Donation through Doha digital market at www.dohasouq.com, where donors will find QC coupons allowing them to choose the area of donation and make a payment by credit card during the shopping process.
Star donation points (Ooredo): This service is performed through Ooredo website. The donor donates the number of points added which is then converted into funds for QC projects in amounts between QR25 and 2,000.
Rewards programme at Qatar National Bank: allows bank customers to donate the value of the points earned during their transactions for the benefit of QC projects via Bank POS devices.
Commercial Bank donated prizes: a service that allows Commercial Bank customers to donate the value of the points available to customers which are then converted into a voucher to help fund QC projects.
Donate Dream points: allows customers of Doha Bank to donate their points to QC projects.
Ooredo SMS: an integrated system that allows people to donate QR50 by sending an SMS to the number 92632, or to 92642 to donate QR100.
An ongoing donation by sending a text message to 92060 for a monthly, daily or weekly subscription.
By landline or mobile phone by calling 9002000 to donate QR15 to Zakat al-Fitr projects, 2002001 for QR20 to Iftar projects, 9002002 for QR50 to education projects or 9002004 for QR100 to orphanages. The call can be repeated as often as possible and the donor can choose the projects .
Self-service: an electronic device located in major business complexes allows people to donate to areas of their choice in cash in any currency, cheque or bank card. The funds or cheques are simply placed inside the donation envelopes.
Dirhams project: this allows people to donate their surplus currency (QR0.25, 0.50 and 0.75), while shopping in centers and malls, and add the value they wish to donate to the bill. The participating complexes will use a barcode system. The scheme also allows people to donate surplus dirhams on their bank balance. This service is available at Al Meera, Lulu Hyper Market, Qataria for Consumer Complexes, Mega Mart, Shoprite, the Palace of Food and Quality and the Shaheen Group. Partner banks include Doha Bank, Al Ahli , Commercial Bank and Al-Rayyan Bank.
POS: These are devices from banks that allow donations by cards, saving the trouble of looking for ATMs or using cash.
Electronic collection tables: allow people to donate to QC projects through the main collection points by traditional electronic system works regardless of network connection using payment by check, cash or bank card.
Mobile collection: allows donors to donate via a tablet device provider using a 3G and WiFi connection and a small printer with a mobile payment device using the same electronic system of the electronic tablets.
QC has been a forerunner among charities in terms of having a dedicated department to calculate Zakat and answer Sharia questions related to it by experts and a dedicated team that calculates Zakat: cash, stocks, trade, entrepreneurs, work income, cattle, etc. by telephone, fax, or personal visit.
Inquiries are received and dealt with by: a personal visit, telephone or fax. Hours of service are extended during the month of Ramadan when the team operates 8 am- 12 am and until 2am in the last ten days of the holy month.
Further, QC’s ‘Everything they had’ campaign was launched to highlight the suffering of needy communities, showing that, ‘what you see is what they have’ in terms of shelter, food, sponsorships, and education among other things.
QC is also seeking to implement a number of large scale projects starting from this Ramadan through partnerships with donors. The projects include: A relief project for the Syrian people which highlights their suffering, the length of the crisis and the depth of their wounds.
An educational project aimed at enabling 3,000 poor students in 16 countries to continue their education .
Construction of 10 schools in ten needy and poor communities by raising QR6,000,000.
Sponsoring 6,000 orphans for a period of one year in 25 countries by raising QR15mn.
Providing food and water for 100,000 persons for a period of one month in Syria, Niger, Yemen and Tunisia by raising QR30mn.
Sponsorship of 10,000 poor individuals in 16 countries through small income-generating activities at a cost of QR 800 per unit and a total cost of QR30mn to be raised from Zakat.