DOHA REACH Out To Asia (ROTA) and Qatar First Investment Bank ( QFIB ) jointly organised an iftar for residents of the Qatar Foundation for Elderly People Care. The initiative is part of the month-long Ramadan campaign titled ‘ROTA Reaches Out To All Children’, being carried out in association with ROTA’s local partners. Qatar First Investment Bank is one of the official sponsors of the campaign. In addition to the iftar for the elderly, QFIB and ROTA will jointly hold a Garangao celebration on Sunday at the Arab Museum of Modern Art (Mathaf), and house renovation for underprivileged Qatari families. “In Ramadan, our hearts and minds tend to turn to the people who have made a difference to us – in this case, the elderly,” said Essa al Mannai, ROTA director. “By sharing iftar with them, we want to show them, in the true spirit of Ramadan, that they are not forgotten and extremely appreciated. We are grateful to Qatar First Investment Bank for supporting this event, and for the involvement of their staff in preparing the meals and participating in all the activities.” As with all of ROTA’s initiatives, the Ramadan Campaign is a volunteer-driven activity and reflects the organisation’s commitment to local communities and people in need. Around 20 volunteers of QFIB and ROTA participated in the iftar, engaging in dialogue and activities with the Qatar Foundation for Elderly People Care residents. One activity encouraged the volunteers and the residents to make their own prayer beads, while other volunteers visited bed ridden patients to ensure they also enjoyed the event. Emad Mansour, chief executive officer of QFIB said, “The aim of our Ramadan Blessings Campaign is to lend a hand to the less privileged during the holy month. Through our partnership with ROTA this year we had the unique opportunity to expand the reach of our campaign to benefit a wider segment of the society. This has also given our employees chance to engage with different community organisations and to understand the importance of solidarity and brotherhood during Ramadan.” The volunteers also cooked traditional dishes and brought them for the iftar. This gave a personal touch to the event, as it allowed the volunteers to share their homeland dishes with residents of the Elderly Care Foundation. “We wanted both the volunteers and the residents of the foundation to create a bond that would go beyond the event,” said al Mannai. “It appears that this approach was successful as the majority of the volunteers have promised to come back for regular visits. We know from the reaction of the elderly that we have made a difference in their lives today. This is the fourth year that ROTA has held an iftar at the foundation, and we are thankful that, yet again, they have welcomed us and our volunteers warmly. We are always happy to be there,” he added. http://www.qatar-tribune.com/data/20110814/content.asp?section=nation2_1

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