DOHA: Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah Foundation for Humanitarian Services (RAF) raised over QR6.03m in a one-and-a-half hour radio programme on Saturday which was the first in a series of campaigns planned during this Ramadan to secure release of 20 Qataris languishing in jail for defaulting loan repayments.
The beneficiaries will include a Qatari youth who lost his business and amassed debts of over QR1.55m and a divorced woman with debts of over QR1.3m.
The programme titled ‘Abwab Al Rahma’ (Doors of Mercy) evoked a tremendous response from listeners forcing the presenters to extend it for half-an-hour from the original schedule of one hour.
The event on the Quran Radio, a member of Qatar Radio started at 10.30pm and continued until midnight. It was presented by Ahmed Fakhroo and Osama Tawfeeq and supported by a Islamic preacher Dr Tariq Al Hawas.
The money raised from the programme will be sufficient for the release of 11 citizens, who have varying amounts of bank loans to pay back ranging from QR370,00 to QR1.55m, Al Sharq reported.
This was the first fund-raising campaign after RAF set up a committee headed by Sheikh Saud bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani to secure release of indebted citizens serving jail terms.
The other nine beneficiaries have amassed loans of QR390,000, QR309,000, QR252,000, QR542,000, QR 201,000, QR158000, QR446,000, QR500,000, QR370,000, said the daily.
twitter campaign
Parallel to radio programme, RAF conducted a fund-raising campaign involving followers of its twitter account.
Father a Qatari youth the late Abdulla Nasser Al Kaabi donated QR100,000 on his behalf to fully sponsor some cases while other donations were also pledged by his friends.
In another humanitarian venture, the Qatar Charity has started delivering Iftar meals to expatriate single workers at their camps in Industrial Area, in addition of its dozens of daily mass Iftar gatherings spread across the city.
The charity has decided to go to camps having been convinced that many workers are unable to reach Iftar tents in time due to transportation problems or work until late hours of the day, according to Fauzi Osman of QC in charge of the project.
Many workers would shy away from Iftar gatherings which are crowded, especially those in the Industrial Area.
The charity daily delivers 400 Iftar meals at two labour accommodations selected in coordination with employers or camp supervisors. Some 12,000 workers are expected to benefit from the project, launched three years ago.
“The project is being carried out in a planned manner and the camps are identified in advance. Meal distribution does not take more than a few minutes and workers are happy,” said a QC official.
The Peninsula
