Monday May 21, 2018
Jassim and Hamad Bin Jassim Charitable Foundation (HBJ Foundation) will implement charity projects worth over QR15.7m in Qatar and other 16 countries worldwide during holy month of Ramadan.
The projects include cash and in-kind support to poor families, helping defaulters to repay loans, providing Iftar meals and food baskets.
“A total of QR15,750,000 has been allocated for Ramadan project this year, of which QR9.2m will be spent in Qatar and QR6.5m abroad,” said Saeed Mathkar Al Hajri, CEO of HBJ Foundation while speaking at a press conference held at the headquarters of the Foundation yesterday.
newsnow“Under cash and in-kind support in Qatar around 2,200 Qatari families have begun to receive checks and coupons to get food items from Al Meera. This project costs QR4m,” said Al Hajri.
He said that QR5m will be given to repay the loans of defaulters. “There were requests about repaying loans. A study was conducted to pick up the most needy people. A total of 12 loan defaulters Qatari citizens will benefit from this project,” said Al Hajri.
He said that the Foundation has earmarked QR250,000 to offer Iftar meals at a tent and deliver it to homes in Qatar. “A huge Iftar tent will be set up at Al Mirqab Al Jadid and the iftar meals will be also delivered in the vehicles of the Foundation. A total of 10,000 fasting people will benefit in the country,” said Al Hajri.
He said that HBJ Foundation has earmarked QR6.5m to implement Ramadan projects in abroad.
“Under its food baskets project, around QR5m will be provided to poor families in 16 Asian and African countries. A total of 50,000 families are expected to benefit in Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Chad, Sudan and Morocco,” said Al Hajri.
He said that tens of tonnes dates have been shipped to Qatari embassies in 13 countries at a cost of QR1m. “The beneficiary countries are Pakistan, Nepal, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, India, Jordan, Kenya, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Japan, India, South Korea,” said Al Hajri.
He further said that ready Iftar meals with a cost of QR500,000 will be provided to fasting people Aleppo and Idleb in Syria. A total of 2,000 families are expected to benefit from this project.
Regarding the impact of blockade on the operation of the Foundation, Al Hajri said that the siege affected the operation but it was very minor. “For example, we were buying dates from Saudi Arabia before blockade but now we are buying from Oman and Kuwait”.
Speaking on the projects of the Foundation in abroad, he said that the Foundation has built many projects like vocational training center in India and hospital in Jordon which are serving people.
Al Hajri said that the Foundation owned assets worth value which generate enough income to finance its projects and he ruled out any plan of the Foundation to collect donations for funding the projects.
Regarding cash and in-kind support to the families, Al Hajri said that cash and food items will be distributed according to the members of the beneficiary family starting from QR1,500 to QR3,500 depends on the need of the family.
Al Hajri said the foundation adheres to international standards in humanitarian work and in implement charity projects. He added that the foundation cooperates with the governments benefiting from these projects, as well as international institutions such as humanitarian funds affiliated to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Qatar Red Crescent Society and other humanitarian institutions.