Qatar Charity (QC) has signed an agreement with Somalia’s Ministry of Education, Culture, and Higher Education to enhance public libraries’ performance in Somalia.
The agreement was signed by Dr Mohamed Ahmed Sheil, director of the Somali National Library, and Abdulfatah Adam, director of Qatar Charity’s Somalia Branch.
The signing ceremony was attended by HE Dr Abdullah bin Salem al-Nuaimi, Qatar's ambassador to Somalia, and Nura Mustafa Mukhtar, state minister of the Somali Ministry of Education, Culture, and Higher Education.
The agreement aims to develop the infrastructure of public libraries in Somalia, provide them with scientific, literary, and cultural books, and train their staff. It will also contribute to promoting a culture of reading and education in the Somali society.
Abdulfatah Adam, director of Qatar Charity’s Somalia branch, expressed the charity's commitment to supporting the education sector of the country, as a tool to combat poverty and hunger and promote stability and security.
He said that Qatar Charity has implemented various educational programmes in Somalia, including the sponsorship programme aimed at giving orphaned children the opportunity to attend schools, in addition to building primary schools and educational centers and providing scholarships to students.
He added that Qatar Charity signed an agreement last year with the UN-affiliated university, in co-ordination with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, to provide 40 Somali students, both male and female, the opportunity to obtain doctorates in various specialisations.
He indicated that the working agreement signed by Qatar Charity with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education is part of the organisation’s strategy to support the education and culture sector in Somalia. Under this agreement, textbooks and reading materials will be provided to the Somali National Library, in addition to contributing to its rehabilitation.
He emphasised that Qatar Charity always seeks to contribute to achieving the goals of the Ministry of Education in developing education and culture in Somali society.
Mukhtar praised Qatar's efforts in supporting the education sector in Somalia. She expressed her gratitude to Qatar and Qatar Charity for their support to the education sector in Somalia. She said that they provided "invaluable support in the field of education in Somalia, helping improve access to education for Somali children."
Dr Mohamed Ahmed Sheil, director of the Somali National Library, and Abdulfatah Adam, director of Qatar Charity’s Somalia branch, shake hands after signing the agreement.