DOHA: Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has launched a socio-economic empowerment programme for poor families in Qatar, at a cost of QR2.9m.
The fund is being provided by Occidental Petroleum of Qatar Ltd. (Oxy Qatar) over four years, as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) and humanitarian partnership policies to serve the needy people.
This year, QRCS is offering monthly financial support and food subsidies for 28 low-income families to help them meet their basic needs.
The subsidies amounted to QR732,000, with each family receiving QR2,000 a month, based on a study conducted to know the financial conditions of the beneficiary families, their expenses, resources and needs.
Home visits were made to the beneficiary families to estimate their monthly expenses, based on the number of family members and total income.
Priority was given to the families with heavy debts, divorced women, widows and orphans.
The partnership between QRCS and Oxy Qatar aims to help improve the living standards of disadvantaged people, empower them to preserve their well-being and health, stretch out social welfare wings, promote solidarity in society members and ensure stability for as many vulnerable families as possible, said Saleh bin Ali Al Mohannadi, Secretary-General, QRCS.
“We are proud of our continuing partnership with QRCS and support its socio-economic programmes,” said Stephen Kelly, President and General Manager, Oxy Qatar. Our goal is to build positive and durable partnerships with organisations that can make a real difference.
“We believe that QRCS is doing this work very effectively, with its outreach programmes. It is our pleasure to be part of this significant effort.”
Under a four-year agreement signed in 2014, OXY is sponsoring one aspect of QRCS’s socio-economic programme, which serves about 1,500 families every year, with an annual budget of over QR7m.
Apart from the financial and in-kind subsidies, QRCS provides financial support for poor students, covers treatment costs for poor patients, holds programmes for women for their professional and economic empowerment, and other social initiatives to help achieve the holistic development goals of Qatar National Vision 2030.
The Peninsula
