QC wins GCC Excellence Award for care of orphans

Officials with the award.

Qatar Charity (QC) has been presented with an Award of Excellence for 2014 in the field of orphan care from the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC).

The award comes from the Regional Network for Social Responsibility in Bahrain in co-operation with regional organisations and international bodies.

QC CEO Yusuf bin Ahmed al-Kuwari received the award on behalf of the chairman of the Board of Directors, Sheikh Hamad bin Nasser bin Jassem al-Thani.

The award was presented at a special ceremony organised at the start of a forum for the training of leaders and experts in the care of orphans in the GCC, held in the Bahraini capital of Manama in collaboration with the humanitarian sector management of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation and the United Nations Global Compact programme under the auspices of Ahmed bin Ibrahim al-Mulla, head of Parliament in Bahrain, and under the patronage of Sheikh Hisham bin Abdul Rahman al-Khalifa, governor of the Manama governorate.

The award came in recognition of QC’s work in support of programmes, events and services for the financial, educational and recreational care of orphans.

QC was one of six GCC institutions - Charitable Foundation for Orphans (Ikhaa), Saudi Arabia; Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Humanitarian Foundation, the UAE; Sanabil Foundation for Orphans, Bahrain; Oman Charitable Body, Oman; and Direct Aid Society, Kuwait.

On the sidelines of the ceremony, al-Kuwari expressed gratitude for the award, which he said serves to encourage philanthropy, particularly with regard to the care of orphans.

“This award represents an additional incentive to Qatar Charity to further improve our performance, develop the quantity and quality of our projects, expand the circle of beneficiaries of these programmes and projects and support initiatives concerned with the care and sponsorship of orphans,” al-Kuwari said.

The forum aims to train leaders and experts in GCC countries on best practices in the areas of corporate sustainability programmes and care for orphans, and also presents the best Gulf experiences in the context of achieving sustainability in the care of orphans.

QC sponsors more than 75,000 orphans across the world on three continents, including 25,000 via the Rufaqaa initiative, an international humanitarian initiative concerned with the welfare and rehabilitation of orphans via the preparation and management of programmes and channels that effectively contribute to solving the problems of orphans across the world.

Qatar Charity provides healthcare and education as well as monthly financial sponsorship and seasonal recreational activities and trips.

QC was recently awarded the Dar-ul-Sharq award, presented to civil society organisations in the area of social responsibility in 2014; it was one of 10 Qatari institutions selected from different sectors.

Several government agencies, academic and international organisations in Indonesia, Palestine, Pakistan and Bangladesh also recently praised the quality of projects implemented by QC in those countries.