Qatar Charity Lays Foundation Stone For 'Sheikh Eid' Training And Innovation Centre In Somalia

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Qatar Charity, in partnership with Mogadishu University, laid the foundation stone for“Sheikh Eid bin Mohammed Al Thani Centre for Vocational Training and Innovation” in Mogadishu. The project aims to empower Somali youth by equipping them with professional and technical skills aligned with labour-market opportunities. The new centre will be established within one of the university's facilities.

The foundation-laying ceremony was attended by Qatar's ambassador to Somalia, Dr Abdullah bin Salem al-Nuaim; Deputy Governor of Banadir Region for Social Affairs, Abdiaziz Mohamed Osman; President of Mogadishu University, Dr Ibrahim Mohamed Mursal; and Director of Qatar Charity's Somalia Office, Abdifatah Adam Maalim.

Qatar Charity explained in a statement on Monday that the centre will span 7,000sq m and will benefit around 500 young men and women annually. It will include an innovation building, vocational workshops, classrooms, a two-story mosque, and a multi-purpose hall for activities and events. The centre will offer programmes in handicrafts, technical skills, soft skills, and entrepreneurship.

The organisation noted that the project is one of its strategic initiatives designed to address the major challenges facing Somali youth, chief among them high unemployment, which local estimates place at around 67%. This makes the project a significant and impactful addition in its field.

The project builds on the long-standing strategic partnership between Qatar Charity and Mogadishu University, which began in 1997 with the launch of the“Student Scholarship Programme”. To date, 3,684 students have benefited from the scholarships, most of whom have gone on to work in the public and private sectors, with some assuming leadership positions, reflecting the sustainable developmental impact of this collaboration.

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