Carrefour raises QR5mn for EAA’s ‘Together’ project

Initiative aims to ensure that all children in Qatar have equitable access to quality education

In a milestone, Carrefour Qatar raised QR5mn through its fundraising efforts in the last 15 months, which was donated to Education Above All (EAA) Foundation’s ‘Together’ project to support vulnerable children and learners, and to help them access quality education in Qatar.

In a press statement yesterday, Carrefour Qatar said the ‘Together’ project has impacted the lives of more than 2,000 students through their enrolment in schools, including the support of school operational expenses, to promote continuous access and equal opportunities for all children and adolescents, for both boys and girls, in Qatar.

The ‘Together’ project of EAA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, works to ensure that all children in Qatar have equitable access to education in order to unlock their potential to be productive, responsible and contributing residents who transform their local communities, and contribute to the country’s economic prosperity.

‘Together’ is the only project in Qatar that works as a bridge between State ministries and affected communities in Qatar to provide access to education for children facing barriers, which keep them from attending school; and removes barriers to education by facilitating the establishment of alternative education institutes and programmes, in collaboration and co-ordination with local ministries and NGOs

‘Together’, since its inception in 2017, has successfully and continuously expanded its reach to assist marginalised children and their families by providing continuous access to education for children in Qatar. Through enrolment at the EAA-established Assalam Schools, and referral mechanisms with other charity organisations, ‘Together’ has addressed the barriers to education and ensured educational access for some 2,044 children.

“Carrefour joined hands with Education Above All Foundation in 2019 to support EAA’s vision of providing children with access to education. Through its fundraising campaign, Carrefour has collected and provided donations of QR5mn for the ‘Together’ project. The contribution has gone a long way in impacting lives of the children through enrolment in Assalam Schools who could otherwise have remained out of school,” the statement noted.

The funds have been utilised to support the operating expenses of the first Assalam School catering to 467 students, and to ensure continued access to education for students in eight community schools across Doha.

Laurent Hausknecht, country head of Carrefour Qatar, said: “Our partnership with Education Above All Foundation reflects our commitment to helping children access quality education as we are deeply convinced that education is key to a healthy and sustainable society. We would like to thank our cashiers and all our customers for their generous donations, since the launch of this initiative in our stores in May 2019.”

Mubarak al-Thani, Communication manager at EAA, said: “Education Above all Foundation looks forward to continuing to work alongside Carrefour Qatar. We collaboratively strive to provide our children with equitable access to quality education through financial support, capacity-building and facilitating the establishment of alternative education pathways. Assalam Schools, established in 2019 under the ‘Together’ project, aims to mitigate barriers such as any financial, language and educational gap, faced by children to access education in Qatar.”