NAMA reviews its achievements of the past year and announces its new annual plan for 2017
Nama Center, a member of Qatar Foundation for Social Work, has announced the launch of its annual plan for 2017, which is the first of a series of practical steps of the strategic directions that have been revealed on the heels of the launch of its new visual identity late last year at the Qatar National Convention Centre.
The launch comes following a pivotal year that the Center witnessed in 2016, during where it built a strong foundation for its new program, which puts young people at the top of his priorities, as an extension of a rich heritage of social work over the past two decades.
Over the years, NAMA Center has brought to fruition a slew of achievements and successes that embodied its pioneering role in investing in human capital, with youth forming its main pillar, by providing them with the essential elements of empowerment in the form of training, qualification, and instilling awareness in order to be well poised to play a prominent role in national development, in line with the State’s strategies and the realization of the Qatar National Vision 2030.
A summary of NAMA’s achievements in 2016
Among the most important achievements of NAMA Center in 2016, was the opening of the first exhibition for Small & Micro enterprises “Tawreed”, which was held in collaboration with the Qatar Chamber and the Qatar Tourism Authority to support 29 of the incubated projects and facilitate communication between them and the public and private institutions in Qatar. The Center also launched the life-skills development project "Sekkak" to develop teachers’ training capacities, which extended over the period of 5 days and embraced 30 young men and women, with an honorary ceremony held to celebrate the occasion. In order to motivate youth and empower them socially, NAMA Center also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Qatar Finance and Business Academy (QFBA) on the sidelines of the ‘Arab Conference on the Role of the Civil Society in the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030’ to take advantage of QFBA’s expertise in offering new ideas and solutions for qualification, training and development in the field of entrepreneurship.
Moreover, the Center participated in Darb Al Saai activities at the venue’s ‘Souq Waqif’ by presenting a range of productive projects carried out by young Qatari beneficiaries of NAMA’s incubation services. In addition, the Center organized several training courses using the Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) curriculum, adopted by the International Labor Organization. The number of beneficiaries of the Center’s training services reached 59 entrepreneurs to implement their business projects, in addition to 50 entrepreneurs that availed the Center’s guidance and consultancy services, while 27 economically feasible business plans are currently being reviewed and evaluated.
On the social welfare front, the Center organized a “beauty & cosmetics” training workshop with the participation of 10 students from the Shafallah Center in the framework of the joint cooperation between the Qatar Foundation for Social Work’s various institutions, in order to provide them with essential guidance. Meanwhile, the number of students benefiting from the Center’s professional development program reached 163 female Qatari students. It is worth mentioning that the Center has provided nearly 19,575 humanitarian services, 126 exemptions of Kidney dialysis fees, and 246 educational services, as well as the restoration of 10 houses in collaboration with ROTA.
On this occasion, Ms. Mariam bint Abdullatif Al Mannai – Director of the Community Services Department, and the Director in charge of running NAMA’s affairs, said:
“During the past year, we worked hard on laying a strong foundation for the launch of a new identity for our team, with the aim of filling the current gap in social work, and contributing to meeting the development requirements leading to the achievement of the Qatar National Vision 2030. Here we are at the outset of the new year, proceeding on the path towards the application of this strategy by focusing completely on youth, the beating heart of our society, as they are the ones with the leading and pioneering role in ensuring the stability of the social system, especially since Qatar’s human development report Qatar has focused on understanding the context and the challenges and opportunities facing young Qataris and overcoming those obstacles in order to be able to contribute to Qatar's march towards a knowledge-based economy, which requires us to address the problems and challenges that pose a concern for youth and grant them adequate space to achieve their goals and aspirations.”
NAMA Center adopts a systematic long-term solutions methodology in dealing with all social projects and activities, in line with sustainable development, and focuses on a clearly-defined central goal in order to attain the greatest possible impact. Which is why NAMA’s work focuses on investing in younger generations at an early age, by adding value through the provision of intellectual, technical and practical inputs that build capacity, create a broad impact, and create sustainable solutions.
NAMA’s 2017 agenda
In 2017, NAMA Center will continue to work hard in pursuit of its vision, assuming the role of the engine in the wheel of development and prosperity in the State of Qatar, through its effective social activities and contributions at a myriad local and international events.
Among the most anticipated of such upcoming events: the launch of the ‘Moqbeleen’ initiative, a campaign targeting youth and introducing them to the Center’s various activities and the largest initiative focused on instilling awareness and the advancement of the aspirations of young people towards excellence and leadership, in addition to celebrating Sports Day 2017 is a different and distinctive way, with the aim of bolstering the base of national participation of youth in various sports activities as well as to highlight the importance of sports and exercise in the lives of all members of society, especially the youth, in addition to the announcement of the Qatari Entrepreneur Award ‘Reyada’, which is considered a pioneering program to encourage entrepreneurial projects in Qatar, designed by NAMA Center to celebrate the owners of Entrepreneurial projects in Qatar and their supporting institutions.
The Center will also participate at the Qatari Youth Forum, organized by the Ministry of Culture and Sports, which serves as a free platform for young people to express their creativity and present their ideas that have community development potential, in addition to many other social events and activities, as the Center is set play an active role in community outreach, and the effective utilization of social media platforms while focusing on social influencers, in addition to the celebration of the Family Day in Qatar, International Youth Day, International Volunteer Day, World Day of Social Justice, and many others.
