Tribune News Network
Doha
Qatar Charity (QC) distributed 25 housing units worth QR1,000,000 to students of Sharia and preachers in various parts of Mauritania in the second phase of its 'Social Housing' project in the country.
Each housing unit includes a living room, a room and a kitchen with a total area of 43 m2. The houses were designed according to the specifications suitable for architecture of Mauritania, a desert area.
In the first batch, Sheikh Hamad bin Nasser bin Jassim al Thani, chairman of the Board of Directors, delivered 10 houses to the families benefiting from the project.
The project has helped shelter 115 Sharia students in the Mahdara of Yahtheeh Abdul Wadood in Maymoun village, 90 kilometres from Nouakchott. The Mahdara, founded in 1880, is well-known with great reputation, and has produced many Sharia scientists. It offers education in the fields of the Holy Quran and its studies, Osool Ad-Din, Jurisprudence, Hadith, and linguistics.
Both Mauritanian and foreign students attend the Mahdara for education. The students live under difficult circumstances due to lack of income and absence of decent housing. Establishing housing units for the students has improved their living conditions, which will result in better educational performance.
Sheikh Mohammed Salim At-Tah Yahtheeh Abdul Wadood, Imam of the Mahdara, said:"We thank QC for helping the Sharia students. This project has met the needs of the students and helped them have more time to study."
Some housing units were also constructed for preachers near the mosques where they perform prayer and preach in Nouakchott, Boutilmit and Rkiz. The locations were chosen to facilitate the Imams arrival to the mosque to attend the prayer in time.
Sheikh Mohammed Abdul Rahman, Al Huda Mosque Imam in Al Tarheel neighbourhood, commended QC for implementing such project in Mauritania.
"QC has always offered help for the needy. Building houses for Imams is a new qualitative move by QC," he added.
On an earlier two-day field trip to Mauritania, QC's delegation comprising Sheikh Hamad bin Nasser bin Jassem al Thani, chairman of the Board of Directors, and Yousef bin Ahmed al Kuwairi, QC's CEO; handed the keys to the houses to the beneficiaries.
The 'Social Housing' project is considered one of the greatest projects by QC, offering houses for 260 targeted families. The houses were built from cement and were equipped with high quality doors and windows. The project cost QR11,079,000.
During the key delivery ceremony in Al Rakiz District, Sheikh Hamad said,"This project is our way of reinforcing our relationship with Mauritanian people, who are our cousins and brothers in religion. The philanthropists from Qatar donated for this project out of their brotherly duty without asking for anything in return. We pray for Mauritania to be more prosperous and developed."