H.H. Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani took the stage to receive Social Development Center Honorary Volunteer Award Doha, Qatar, January 11th, 2012: H.H. Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa received Social Development Center (SDC) Honorary Volunteer Award at a grand ceremony held at Katara, The Cultural Village in recognition of the vital role she plays in volunteer work. Concurrently, H.E. Dr. Sheikh Mohamed Bin Eid Al-Thani was honoured the Honorary Volunteer Award given his role as one of the pioneers of charitable work in Qatar. SDC also recognized H.E. Abdulla Bin Khalifa Al-Attiya, H.E. Yousef Hussain Kamal, Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani, Mohammed Hamad Al Mana and Bader Al-Darwish who have supported the institution financially, allowing the SDC team to achieve their goals set for 2011 and ensure that dreams and projects are made reality. Sponsored by Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), the event was attended by Ms. Mounira Bint Nasser Al Misnad, Chairman of SDC’s Board of Trustees, H.E. Sheikh Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Secretary General of QOC, Dr. Abdul Aziz Mohammed Al Har, Head of SDC’s Volunteer Awards Organizing Committee and Ms. Amal Al Mannai, SDC’s Executive Director in addition to government officials and representatives. Commenting on the occasion, Mounira Bint Nasser Al Misnad, Chairman of SDC’s Board of Trustees, “Through such initiatives, we are trying to foster a culture of volunteering amongst Qatari youth, acknowledge genuine efforts in volunteer work, motivate individuals and organizations to contribute time and effort to their communities and today we say Kafu. Kafu which means well done to all of you who have prioritized volunteer work and helped make this day possible.” From his end, H.E. Sheikh Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Secretary General of QOC, said: “Sponsoring SDC’s event stems from our commitment to support volunteer work across Qatar and to increase understanding about the importance of such efforts in building our community.” “We are pleased that volunteer work is spreading across the country and are proud at the same time of the role sports play in attracting volunteers who we see as our partners in everything we do,” H.E. concluded. Winners of the Individual Volunteer Award were Ahmed Yousef Al Ferdoni, Dara Mojab Al Dosari, Shaqra Ismail Al Zeyara, Ahmad Jassim Al Jolo and Habes Mohammed Howail. On the other hand Time Bank, GCM-Qatar won the Projects Award category and Qatar Society of Engineers won the Institution Award of the year. The panel of judges included Dr. Kaltham Al Ghanim, Professor of Sociology, Qatar University, Dr. Abdullah Al Hamadi, Former Professor at Qatar University and Mr. Ayed Al Kahtani, Director, RAF Foundation for Humanitarian Services. Launched by SDC on November 6, 1999, the SDC Volunteer Awards are presented to individuals and organizations that actively engage in volunteer work, prioritize public service and constantly strive to have a positive impact on their communities. The key objectives behind the SDC Volunteer Awards program are to foster a culture of volunteering amongst Qatari youth, acknowledge genuine efforts in volunteer work, motivate individuals and organizations to contribute time and effort to their communities, and finally, enable individuals to acquire knowledge and skills that may not be a part of their academic or professional lives. To promote volunteerism, SDC also runs Kafu - a dynamic annual awareness campaign targeted at the youth of Qatar. For more information on SDC’s community development initiatives, please visit http://www.sdc.org.qa/.

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