By Yasin Abu Taqiu
At least once every year, African expatriates working in Qatar will be brought together for a social event organised by one of their community associations in Doha. There are over ten African community associations in Doha and celebrating their country’s national days are one of the main events organised by these associations.
Last month the Ghanaian community celebrated their country’s 57th Independence Day at an event attended by over 700 expatriates at the Sealine Beach Resort.
“The celebrations under the theme ‘We are One’ featured different cultural programmes and games including among others football, display of traditional Ghanaian attires and food,” according to Dr Paul Amuna who was one of the organisers.
There are about 3,000 Ghanaian families in Qatar. Majority of Ghanaians live in places like Mesaeeid, Al Khor and Doha. Amuna said that one of the goals of the event was to get everyone together as they are planning to start a welfare association soon.
Communities without diplomatic missions like the Ghanaian community look at these associations to fill the diplomatic gap and as well to help in socialising.
Other African communities like the Nigerians were brought together to celebrate National Day by their community associations in cooperation with their embassies.
The community’s umbrella organization, Nigerians in Diaspora (NIDO), recently organised a get together social and business networking event in which its executive committee was dissolved and a care-taker committee was chosen until elections for new executive members will takes place on April 10 at Crown Plaza Hotel in Doha.
“NIDO envisions an overriding framework and philosophy that resonates with every Nigerian man, woman, organization and friend of Nigeria abroad; The vision is deeply rooted in the organization’s firm belief that the Nigerian Diaspora can make significant contributions to Nigerians working together, united as a community in Qatar as well as have an impact back in Nigeria, through networking business forum, projects, policies, and advocacy,” said Victor Ikoli, public relations officer of the association.
There are more than 7,000 Nigerians living in Qatar and working in different fields, though the majority of them are in the oil and gas industries, according to Ikoli. Besides NIDO, Nigerians in Doha also have other small associations tailored mostly on religion and professions, said Ikoli.
Kenyans, one of the biggest African communities with more than 12,000 of them working in Doha, are brought together by their newly formed Kenya Qatar Diaspora Sacco (KQDSacco).
The association was founded by expatriates here with the help of Kenyan government and works hand in hand with the Kenyan Embassy in Doha, said Pastor Habakkuk Wamududda, Chairman, KQDSacco.
Besides organising the country’s National Day, also known as Madraka day, the association was also planning to empower Kenyan expatriates by offering them loans, as well as to campaign for their rights in both Qatar and Kenya, he said.
The Kenyan community also invite popular artists from home to come and perform in Qatar and the recent performance by renowned Kenyan DJ George Njuguna aka Cream De La at the Grand Regal Hotel was a huge success.
Another popular community association in Doha bringing together Africans is the South African Social Community in Qatar (SASCOMQatar).
The association brings together South Africans residing in Qatar and organises get together events and celebration of National Day.
According to the association website there are about 3,000 South Africans residing in Qatar, working in different professions. The association has an active Facebook presence with about 1,000 members and most of the social events are announced on this forum.
Closely connected to the SASCOMQatar is the South African Ladies in Qatar — an association that organises get-togethers for non-working South African ladies. Events vary from informal coffee mornings to learning new skills, according to the associations Facebook page.
Emmanuel Larmeh, the vice consul of the Embassy of Liberia, said there were less than 100 Liberians living and working in Qatar as most of his countrymen put more emphasis on going to the USA. But the trend is however changing as more Liberians are learning about the opportunities GCC countries like Qatar offer. He said there is a growing need for more Liberians to come to Qatar but the embassy is still studying how these opportunities could be fulfilled without any abuses. Liberians in Qatar were represented by the embassy.
Other African communities that did not have associations in Doha are kept together by their country’s diplomatic missions while others get together on social networks. Communities like the Ugandan expatriates have a Facebook page where news and experiences are shared about life in Doha and at home.
The Peninsula
