Nama launches ‘Social Entrepreneurship Programme’

The Centre for Social Development (Nama) on Thursday launched the activities of its ‘Social Entrepreneurship Programme’, in co-operation with the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).The programme, which will run until March 2, aims to empower young people and workers, and to build their capacities in social work field. Its main objective is to build the capacities of young Qatari men and women, aged 20 to 35 years, in the field of social development work, thus empowering them and developing their scientific knowledge and skills.The Social Entrepreneurship Programme will provide Qatari youth with a unique opportunity to learn about leading best practices in major international institutions and companies in this domain. They will benefit from practical contact, increase their knowledge in this perspective, and enhance their professional practices and performances.The participants will undergo two basic stages on developing the capacities of institutions and youth, and enhancing their role in the field of social work, consisting of a training phase and the ‘Training of Trainers’. The programme will focus on several main axes: the most important concepts of social work, its moral principles, and its link to human rights and social responsibility. It will also focus on providing the appropriate environment to increase the effectiveness of youth participation in social work and to enhance their skills.Ahmed al-Kuwari, CEO of Qatar Foundation for Social Work, said: “There is no doubt that social work is one of the most wonderful acts in line with the principles of our religion and human nature in general. It is all about righteousness, piety, benefiting others, and contributing effectively to solve many social problems facing society. “And based on our vision to develop our society and consolidate its foundations altogether, we are doing our best to enhance the welfare of our people, look after their health, build the capabilities of human cadres and the skills of their children, and serve them through our centres. We are specialised in family stability support, orphan care, child and women protection, youth empowerment, care and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities, and caring for the elderly.” Nama executive director Saba al-Fadala underscored the value of co-operating with the Gender Justice, Population and Inclusive Development cluster at ESCWA.She said, “We are proud to strengthen our partnership with ESCWA as the result of the great success of our joint experience in introducing the ‘Sawari’ Social Entrepreneurs Development Programme; and we thank Ooredoo, our Platinum sponsor in this programme. “Today, we are going the extra mile reinforcing this co-operation through which our visions are aligned and our efforts are combined to make a real difference in the lives of our community's people, guided by the global plans and sustainable development goals, with the human element as the most important pillar.” Al-Fadala added: “We are moving together through these efforts to create more opportunities for our generation today and our promising youth, paving the way for broader horizons and better opportunities for future generations.”Maryam al-Marri, head of Youth-Capacity Building Department at Nama, said: “We are very pleased to launch the activities of the vocational training programme, which frames our continuous efforts to enhance the capabilities of young men and women in Qatari society. “It is worthy to note that this stems from our strategic vision based on understanding the challenges facing Qatari youth, and helping them to overcome these challenges in order to be active in society while supporting Qatar’s aim towards a knowledge-based economy in the framework of Qatar National Vision 2030.”She added: “The workshops aim to raise awareness among the participants about human rights issues in general and social justice. They will also review the most important qualities and competencies of the social worker in Qatar. We hope that this programme will achieve its desired goals in the short and long term.”Nama was established in 1996 in line with the mission of Qatar Foundation for Social Work. Its main vision is to encourage the youth to invest in a system of training programmes that enhance their skills and knowledge and qualify them to contribute to modern society. The centre offers several development projects in the field of social work, entrepreneurship, and social entrepreneurship to achieve its strategy based on promoting social work and consolidating social leadership, as well as expanding the options available to young people to participate in this field.