Education Above All (EAA) foundation, through its programme Reach Out To Asia, (Rota), hosted a reflection event yesterday, to recognise and celebrate the outstanding achievements of volunteer tutors and migrant workers who took part in Rota’s 2016/2017 Adult English Literacy (RAEL) and Adult Arabic Literacy (RAAL) Programmes.
During the event, 120 volunteer tutors and 400 migrant workers received awards and certificates for participating in the 2016/2017 programme. Addressing participants during the opening,  Abdulla  al-Bakri, community development manager of Rota, said learning a new language is one of the best ways to broaden one’s outlook on the world.
“By learning Arabic and English – two of the most widely spoken languages in Qatar – our programmes enrich the lives of participants by offering them an opportunity to enhance their communication skills, and learn more about other cultures.”
“Moreover, Rota’s adult literacy programmes seek to encourage active community involvement and participation. It is an honour to see the positive impact these programmes have had on participants and volunteers alike. In the coming months and years, we look forward to extending these invaluable programmes to more migrant workers in Qatar,” al-Bakri added. The RAEL and RAAL programmes were developed to improve the language skills of low-income migrant workers in Qatar, as a means of enhancing their ability to achieve personal goals, improve life opportunities and develop communication skills.
A key feature of the youth engagement programme is that it allows young people in Qatar to take part in an experiential service learning opportunity, developing their skills and knowledge as community leaders and advocates, as well as an understanding of different cultures and communities, and their needs.
This year, the RAEL and RAAL programmes were implemented in collaboration with Georgetown University in Qatar, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, Weill Cornell Medicine  in Qatar, Northwestern University in Qatar, the Academic Bridge Programme, the Hamad Bin Khalifa University Student Housing English Language programme, Doha Expressway, a project of Ashghal and, a project of Qatari Diar Vinci Construction.