QC Implements Relief Projects for the Yemeni Refugees in Somalia

Through its office in the Strip and in cooperation with Ghaith for Relief and Development, QC has recently started implementing ‘Providing Drinking Water’ project to the poor. More than 3,000 poor families are expected to benefit from it. It will take around 8 months for the project to be implemented at a cost of 262,000 QR.

Kidney Diseases

The Municipalities in the Strip provide the citizens with salty water only, which could cause many different diseases such as kidney diseases. Therefore, QC decided to implement this project in order to provide the poor families with good drinking water.

Eng. Mohammed Abu Halloub, QC’s Office Director in the Strip, said that this project is being implemented because QC wants to alleviate the sufferings of those who cannot afford to get good drinking water, and to prevent the diseases spread because of water pollution. He also emphasized the fact that water projects are on the top QC’s priorities’ list since the siege and the attacks on the Strip have destroyed all of the water networks, which were not even sufficient.

QC, as he also mentioned, will not spare an effort until it has helped the needy families and offered a good living opportunities for the needy; whether through relief or development projects.

Water Crisis

The Strip’s aquifer is both polluted and empty which made the Strip suffer from a dire water crisis. As a result, the Gazan families who are financially stable buy filtered water, while the poor families still use the brackish water provided by the municipalities.

To help face this crisis, QC is implementing a project to filter rainwater and to inject it into the aquifer in around 30 public schools.

The UN had already warned from the worsening situation of water in the Strip. According to the UN’s report, if the current conditions remain the same, the situation in 2016 will be catastrophic. The Strip is in great need for desalination plants a hundred times more than roads.

Reconstruction of Gaza

After all the destruction and wreckage the last aggression on the Strip caused, QC spared no effort to help rebuild the Strip.

More than 2,000 people were martyred during the aggression, 11,200 were injured, and thousands of families, whose houses were demolished, were displaced. Furthermore, many infrastructure facilities such as roads, hospitals, schools, and factories were destroyed.

The last brutal attack on the Gaza Strip caused the loss of so many people, houses, and facilities. 2,139 were martyred: 579 of them were children, 264 of them were women, and 102 were elders. 11,200 people were injured: 25% of them became handicapped. 1,000 children became permanently disabled. 2,088 women, 3,374 children and 410 old people were injured. 1,200 families lost their breadwinners. 90 families were entirely eliminated and 49 massacres were executed.

In addition, 466,000 citizens were displaced, 2,360 houses were completely destroyed, 13,644 houses were partly destroyed, 30,000 workers lost their jobs, and 134 factories were completely demolished. The destruction of Gaza cost a financial loss of 3,500,000,000 USD.

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• Hundreds of goats were distributed to the people to help them start over.
• Tens of hectares were restored for 250 families whose lands had been flooded.

As part of its early relief program to the victims of floods in the Middle Shebelle governorate in Somalia, QC implemented qualitative income-generating projects from which 400 families of the same governorate benefited.

Rehabilitation:

The projects included rehabilitation of the affected families and improvement of their life quality, in addition to supporting agriculture and shepherding. The program also included funding income-generating projects. For example, 750 goats were distributed to 150 families. Each family received 5 goats. This project was to enable them to get their ordinary lives back after the floods. The project also aimed at supporting shepherding and providing these families with a source of income that matched their previous professions.

QC has also restored agricultural lands in a total area of 250 hectares for 250 families who had worked in farming before the floods damaged their lands.

QC seeks to rehabilitate the agricultural and shepherding societies and start agricultural and shepherding businesses by supplying the workers with seeds and pesticides as well as manual cultivation instruments needed for local production. QC also helps them in their farmland restoration, and irrigation canals’ reformation. The program also supplied them with some cattle.

Terrible Immigration

The regions adjacent to the two rivers of Shebelle and Juba witnessed heavy rains in last October and November which led to the flooding of the rivers and caused a disastrous immigration of the inhabitants of the rivers’ banks. Middle Shebelle was mostly affected as most irrigation canals and flood control systems were damaged along the Shebelle River by these floods. Reports show that about 10,000 of the local inhabitants left their flooded cities, villages, and farms.

The objective QC had of the early relief project was to reach the local affected community in the governorate as it helped rehabilitate them in their crafts and professions. QC’s goal was to enable them to increase their daily income and enhance their life quality through a number of strategic projects including shops, production machinery, animals, and farmland restoration. This should facilitate their future confrontation to yearly floods. This project also seeks to restore artesian aquifers, reform schools and damaged clinics to help 93,000 people living in the region.

Tens of Thousands Beneficiaries

It is worth mentioning that QC has recently implemented various projects in Somalia including education, health, building mosques, and funding income-generating projects. Tens of thousands of Somalis around Somalia benefited from these projects. Of its construction projects in Puntland, QC inaugurated the reformation of 2 health centers and 2 preliminary schools at a cost of about 292,000 QR.

QC inaugurated the opening of 9 mosques, and 8 centers for memorization of Qur’an in 3 provinces in the north of Somalia: 3 mosques in the coastal province, 3 others in Burco, 1 in Awdal, and 2 in Hiran and Banaadir. It also built 8 centers for Qur’an memorization in Hiran, Banaadir, and Hargeisa. Thousands of Somalis shall benefit from these mosques and centers.

QC office in Somalia has also organized events of distributing sewing machines to 65 productive families in Mogadishu and Hargeisa city in Somaliland in cooperation with Jedoon Association for Woman and Child Development in Hargeisa and HINNA association in Mogadishu.

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• 43,200 conflict-affected in Syria, 4,200 orphans’ families in Gaza, 120,000 people from different countries benefited from ‘Your Sacrifice, their Eid’ campaign
• El Kuwairi: “We thank the Qatari people for donating to our sacrifices project which made the needy of 52 countries the world over happy

Around 1,000,000 people benefited from the sacrifices campaign for the year 1436 AH which QC implemented and called ‘Your Sacrifices, their Eid’ at a cost of around 14,000,000 QR.

Mr. Youssef Bin Ahmed El Kuwairi, QC’s CEO, expressed the relief he felt because the sacrifices project was successful. QC implemented this campaign with the help of its partners in 52 countries from around the world, including Qatar. It was able to make so many needy and low-income families, who could not provide their children with meat, happy.

The affected who suffered from exceptional circumstances were prioritized such as the Syrians inside Syria, the Syrian refugees in the neighboring countries, the Gaza Strip, Yemen, Somalia, etc.

El Kuwairi said, “I am mostly thankful to those who donated for this project in Qatar, and I pray Allah that He accept their good work and reward them. Most certainly, their donations were the reason behind making the needy happy and achieving social teamwork in Qatar.”

QC had already distributed more than 28,300 sacrifices during the season, which meant 500 tons of meat in 52 countries. More than 43,200 families inside Syria benefited from the project. It was implemented in Damascus and its countryside, Idlib and its countryside, Al Rastan, Al Houla and Talbiseh in the countryside of Aleppo, in the countrysides of Hama, of Lattakia, of Daraa, and Quneitra. In addition, 4,200 orphans’ families from the Gaza Strip and 120,000 Somalis benefited from the project.

Other countries in which the project was implemented:

Palestine, the Palestinian camps abroad, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Tunisia, Morocco, Lebanon, Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, Malawi, Burundi, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Tanzania, Mali, Togo, Nepal, India, Chad, Central Africa, Angola, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Yemen, Bangladesh, Benin , The Gambia, Namibia, Lesotho, Sri Lanka, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Congo, South Africa, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan , Indonesia, Kosovo, Comoros Islands, Albania, the Philippines, Ghana, Bosnia, Ethiopia, and Georgia.

QC inaugurated a special campaign for pilgrimage and Eid Al Adha for this year (1436 AH). It included distributing the sacrifices inside and outside Qatar, giving people the chance to perform substitute Hajj, and distributing Eid clothing. Tens of thousands of people will benefit from this project.

The project was also implemented inside Qatar on the third and fourth days of Eid Al Adha. 2,500 sacrifices were distributed from which 12,000 people benefited, including 668 sponsored families with limited income.

Some of the Qatari volunteers helped in the distribution. In addition, QC, for the first time, offered delivery service using refrigerated cars. The sacrifices were given to the beneficiaries at their homes in Khor, Al-Shahaniya, Industrial Area (Sanaiya), and other areas inside Qatar.

This project also targeted the orphans’ and the low-income families, the indebted, the laborers, the divorced, Ramila Hospital’s inpatients, the laborers, courts, the bank, the mail, Al Qahira School, Al Cilia territory, and Abu Hamur territory and the Indian, Egyptian, Yemeni and Philippine communities.

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• 8 hectares of potato were planted and 133 tons of potato were produced from which 320 families of farmers and laborers benefited
• The farmers of Northern Aleppo harvested 133 tons of potato thanks to QC’s ongoing relief aids whose purpose is to compensate for the food shortage inside Syria.  

 ‘Planting Potato’ project was able to contribute in achieving self-sufficiency for the conflict-affected inside Syria. The project provided the basic foodstuffs at good prices and with good quantities specially that the crisis has been going for long. It provided job opportunities for a number of workers in the field of agriculture so as to satisfy their daily needs and their families’. The project also aimed at making use of the landscapes in a good and useful way.

The implementation of this project took 10 months at a cost of 570,000. 8 hectares of potato were planted and 133 tons were produced. It provided jobs for 320 people.

Renting the Land

Since Syria is in desperate need for foodstuffs, QC made it a priority that 34% of its projects were dedicated for this purpose. It is impossible for anyone to live without food, especially the internally displaced Syrians.

 ‘Potato Planting’ project, implemented by Beyaz Eller (White Hands), is part of the developmental and food projects which aim at compensating for the shortage in foodstuffs from which the people of Syria suffer. It is also implemented to encourage the farmers to go on with farming and to reform arable lands. Fortunately, many people who are originally from this area or have been displaced to it are experienced in the field of agriculture.

Through this project, 8 hectares of enhanced potato were planted. Plus, a contract was signed with the farmers: QC would rent the land from the farmer and sign a cultivation contract with him; or sign a contract with another farmer who has experience in the field; furthermore, QC would secure irrigation water by using rented wells from the same land.

The engineers supervising these projects are experienced and well-acquainted with the environment of the area. Therefore, it is expected that these projects will result in providing wheat and potato at great prices and with good quantities so as to bridge the food gap in Syria.

Redent Control

In order to prevent any plant diseases and to safely grow crops, QC sprayed nitrogen fertilizers and used weed killers. As a result, the corps turned out really good.

Through this project, 50 hectares of enhanced wheat and potato were planted and the procedures of the implementation of the project were the same as the previous one.

Potato is usually planted in the northern countryside in two main seasons: spring (the most important season) from the 10th of February until the 10th of March; taking into consideration the type and the weather during the time of cultivation; and autumn from the 20th of July until the 20th of August. In comparison with autumn, spring produces twice the amount of crops, which means twice the production.

Wheat Cultivation

It is worth mentioning that QC had already implemented an agricultural project for the benefit of the residents of the countryside of Aleppo, Idlib and Al Sahel in Syria. This project led to the investment in 50 hectares for the cultivation of wheat and potato. It was implemented in cooperation with Beyaz Eller at a cost of 900,000 QR.

4,200,000 displaced Syrians and refugees benefited from QC’s projects, which were implemented at a cost of 205,000,000 QR from April 2011 until January 2015.

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• The projects included distributing sewing machines, and holding preparatory courses in sewing and embroidery.
• Fatima bint Al Naji, “QC’s project helped me secure a fixed income to ensure for myself and my family a dignified life without having to need anyone.”

10 disabled female-breadwinners benefited from the income-generating project implemented by QC in Mauritania. It included distributing sewing machines and holding preparatory courses on sewing and embroidery.

QC aims at fighting poverty, especially that among the disabled persons and the breadwinners. This project seeks to provide a fixed income to the beneficiaries through their use of the sewing machines, which were given to them after good training.

The disabilities of the benefiting female-breadwinners varied; some of them were handicapped, and others suffered from partial paralysis. 

Many Benefits

The sewing machines were delivered to the disabled women during the honoring ceremony organized by QC in cooperation with Mauritanian Association for Assisting the Handicapped, the partner responsible for the project’s implementation.  

Some of the figures who attended this ceremony are: the head of the Handicapped Persons department in the Ministry of Social Affairs, the mayor assistant of Arafat Municipality in Nouakchott, the head of the Mauritanian Association for Assisting the Handicapped, and QC’s director of Social Care department in QC’s office in Mauritania. 

Mr. Ahmed wild Wihda, Mayor Assistant, expressed his sincere gratitude for the parties which funded and implemented this project. He also expressed his hope for future similar projects so that more people would benefit from them.

Mr. Jamal wild Abdel Jaleel, Head of the Mauritanian Association for Assisting the Handicapped, said, “This kind of projects funded by QC is very important and essential. It has many benefits: it helps fighting poverty, supporting the disabled, and assisting the breadwinners. Such categories need our help and care.”

The Beneficiaries’ Commendations

After the ceremony was over, the officials distributed the sewing machines to the beneficiaries who expressed their deep joy and happiness. They said that the project was superb because it offered them training and sewing machines and that they now had jobs that could help them bring in a fixed income. This way, they said, they could ensure a dignified life for themselves and their families.

Ms. Fatima bin Al Naji, one of the beneficiaries, said, “I cannot express the amount of happiness I am feeling right now. I thank QC and its local partners and the beneficiaries who funded this project. I hope that this is the beginning of something good. Now that I am done with the training and I got a sewing machine, I think I will now embrace life happily.”

Ms. Adada bint Al Sofi said that she felt ready to start working on the sewing machine she received. She also thanked all the philanthropists who helped fund and implement this important project.

Conventional Bakeries

QC had recently implemented a group of income-generating projects in different cities and villages in Brakna, Mauritania. The projects included 8 conventional bakeries from which around 7,000 people benefited.

The bakeries have rooms for bread and dough. The most appropriate kind of ovens to equip these bakeries with was brick ovens because these areas, where the project was implemented, don’t have electricity and because bricks are found excessively and at great prices. Some of the beneficiaries would even get the bricks themselves. As for the construction of the bakeries, they were built according to modern technologies so that they would not suffer from the problems brick bakeries generally face.

The bakeries were built in several cities and villages in Brakna such as Magta-Lahjar, Sangrafaa, Tachott, Taiba, Al Hoda, and Dutti (which is very far, almost isolated).

These bakeries left great impact on the villagers who could now buy bread at cheap prices and at the quantities they desire. Bread, of course, is essential to most of the villagers – it is part of their food.  

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