Hiiraan Online

Various expatriate communities are chipping in to help the Philippines and Somalia, devastated by natural disasters.

Students of Birla Public School, mainly from the primary section, yesterday donated QR10,000 to the drive launched by the Capital Security Department in co-ordination with Qatar Charity.

Captain Khalifa Mubarak al-Kaabi from the Capital Security Department, and Nasar Mohamed of Qatar Charity received the contribution from student representatives in the presence of school officials led by principal A K Shrivastava.

A group of young students from Qatar Academy led a fund drive at the Philippine embassy on Wednesday in a bid to help the victims of super typhoon Haiyan in Tacloban City. They raised about QR800 by selling cookies and cakes.

“What amazed me and practically “melted” my heart was that the idea of selling cookies to raise funds was theirs and did not come from the teachers or parents,” ambassador Crescente Relacion told Gulf Times.

The envoy said the Pakistan Welfare Forum (PWF) Qatar handed over a cheque for QR20,000 to him recently.

Rashid Nizam, a PWF official said the gesture “reflects our deep concern and pain for the sufferings faced by our Filipino brothers.” 

Relacion also said Indian company Larsen and Toubro made a similar donation.

The ambassador expressed his deep appreciation to the Qatar government and various groups who led the charity drive recently, raising an initial QR31mn (about P365mn). These donations will be directed to calamity victims in Somalia and the Philippines. The “Solidarity Day Campaign” also got 40 tonnes of various relief goods.

The ambassador also thanked individuals, private companies, expatriate communities and other organisations in Qatar who donated money and goods.

Some groups are hosting a 4km walk-run for a cause tomorrow at 4pm from the Msheireb Enrichment Centre near Sheraton on the Corniche. Organisers have urged participants to come early and wear blue, red or yellow shirts.

It is learnt that a private company, Parsons Bringkerhoff, will match the money raised from the activity up to QR50,000.

Last night, some of the participants of the Petronas Asia Road Racing Championship in Lusail International Circuit conducted a fund-raising event before the start of the race.

Rannie Tanchico, a committee head from the United Filipino Organisations in Qatar, said the money collected from the weekly fun run and “Qataerobics” on the Corniche will be handed over to the Philippine embassy today.

Two separate bazaars for the cause will also be held today by the Leyte-Samar-Biliran Association (Leysambil) in Qatar, Samahang Batangeno Qatar (SBQ) and Pinoy Ads Qatar. Members of Leysambil come from Haiyan’s hardest hit provinces in the Philippines. The venues are the Philippine School of Doha and “Inihaw Republic.”