Kutayba Alghanim visits orphanage to monitor progress of company-funded restoration initiative
‘Having these children among us is constant reminder to evaluate priorities’
KUWAIT: Kutayba Y Alghanim, the Chairman of Alghanim Industries, visited the Children’s Home - an orphanage operated by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor’s Social Welfare Sector. The purpose of his visit was to view the restoration progress on the houses which Alghanim Industries had pledged to bear the full cost of last year, in addition to the outdoor playground.
Kutayba Alghanim was welcomed by representatives from the Khair Al-Kuwait Organization, which operates under the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor.
The representatives included Vice Chairperson - Sheikha Maryam Mohammad Al-Sabah, Secretary General - Nasser Mohammed Al-Ayyar, board member and Head of the Facilities Committee - Engineer Fawzi Al-Rowaished, and board member and Head of the Training Committee - Dalal AlRowaished.
The site visit included a tour of the six houses which were restored by Alghanim Industries, where the children have now moved into with their ‘Alternative Mothers’. These new houses are modeled on the United Nation’s SOS Children’s Villages system, which is based on the ‘Alternative Mother’ concept, where orphaned children are given the opportunity to live and grow up in independent homes with ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’ and an alternative mother. This will replace the old system used previously in the orphanage, where all the children lived in dormitory housing, without a sense of family warmth.
At present, the Khair Al-Kuwait Organization is working on the second phase of the restoration project with the help of Alghanim Industries. This includes the restoration of an outdoor playground. Once that is completed, restoration work will start on the central kitchen.
Renewed optimism
Kutayba Alghanim, Chairman of Alghanim Industries, said: “Visiting the orphanage and spending time with children always leaves me with a renewed sense of optimism. This segment of our society has suffered the loss of something vital, that any child at that age should have - the sense of warmth that comes from a family. Having these children among us is a constant reminder to evaluate our own priorities and exercise our humanitarian responsibilities in a way that impacts their lives for the better. It gives me joy knowing that Kuwait and its people never pass up a chance to help those who are in need, and that we at Alghanim Industries can do our part, through the hard work and efforts put forth by the Khair Al-Kuwait organization.” Chairperson of Khair Al-Kuwait, Sheikha Feryal Duaij Al-Sabah, said: “We have always found endless support from Alghanim Industries and its Chairman, Kutayba Alghanim. We are delighted to have him at the orphanage once again and for him to see the completed work that was only possible through his generous donations. We have no doubt that Alghanim Industries will continue their strong support, and we hope to see more companies from the private sector contributing towards those who are less fortunate within our community.”
Caring for orphans
The Children’s Home is the only entity in Kuwait that is responsible for housing and taking care of orphans, launched and operated by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor - Social Welfare Sector. It welcomes children of all ages, who are then cared for until the age of 12. After that age, boys are transferred to specialized housing units, while girls are also transferred to separate specialized housing. Both buildings are also part of the Social Welfare Sector, within the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor.
This initiative comes as part of Alghanim Industries’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, which is committed to giving back to the community, supporting education and encouraging entrepreneurship. Last year, the company was named ‘Diamond Partner’ by Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KCRS) in recognition of its efforts to support KRCS by facilitating treatment for needy patients in Kuwait, and by helping Nurture and Educate Students Today (NEST), which aims to raise awareness and support education of underprivileged children, both locally and internationally. This year, the company participated in the “Give Them a Chance” campaign launched by the KRCS, with the aim of providing quality education opportunities to 13,000 non-Kuwaiti children living within the country whose families are not able to afford paying school fees.