South Africans donate items to Qatar Charity to mark Mandela Day

Catherine W GichukiDohaThe South African community donated several items to Qatar Charity through their embassy to mark Mandela Day on July 18. The community had collected clothes and toys for the purpose. The items were handed over to Qatar Charity officials by the South African ambassador.Speaking at the event, South African Ambassador to Qatar HE Faizel Moosa said Mandela Day, which is observed every year on July 18, was started by the United Nations in 2009 to mark the legacy of the South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, political leader, and philanthropist Nelson Mandela (Madiba) and his values, through volunteering and community service.People are encouraged to take 67 minutes of their time to do anything good. “It doesn’t have to cost money. People can engage with the community,” said the ambassador.In South Africa, people engage in community activities such as painting of schools, beach cleaning, donating food in poverty stricken areas, visiting homes for the elderly and orphanages, and engaging with children etc.“If every person can help their neighbour, then nobody will need help.”The envoy said that South Africans, who are very charitable by nature, take their cue from Mandela. They decided to collect items of use to be donated to charity this year. “We decided to partner with Qatar Charity to distribute whatever we collect. We want to create a closer bond between South Africa and Qatar through Qatar Charity.”The ambassador said several programmes have been lined up in association with Qatar Charity to take care of the needy.As Qatar Charity has been supporting the communities in need, the South African community wants continued cooperation with the organisation. “We would like to partner with Qatar Charity. We have a programme at the embassy and we want Qatar Charity to be part of it. We’ll continue to engage with Qatar Charity to hand over whatever we collect,” he said.The community will be celebrating the South African festival of Ubuntu Bash on November 1 and there will be a charity component to it in partnership with Qatar Charity.Qatar Charity Director of General Services Department Abdullah Al-Dosari thanked the South African ambassador for inviting them to the Mandela Day celebration and for making donations for the needy. He also praised Qatar’s ongoing cooperation with the embassy in charity work.Al-Dosari said the donated items will be delivered to the ‘Taif’ project of the Department of Voluntary Donations in Kind of Charity for distribution to Syrian refugees in Turkey and to people on the Syrian border as well as needy families in African countries. Qatar Charity, through the ‘Taif’ project, is seeking to help the needy and low-income groups.‘Taif’ project collects in-kind donations such as clothing, furniture, electrical and electronic equipment etc. to present them at project exhibitions at nominal prices. The revenues are allocated to Qatar Charity projects within and outside the country. Donations are also sent directly to beneficiaries.The programme receives in-kind donations through three easy methods -- voluntary funds, some of which are distributed in malls, commercial markets and public places; through donation bags to be distributed to homes and villas on a schedule; or through a special service devoted to the receipt of voluntary contributions.