Yousef Al-Kuwari, CEO, Qatar Charity • Interview
Qatar Charity is amongst the top NGOs in the region and the world and continues to play an important role in facing the challenges that hinder the development efforts in many countries.
How has COVID-19 altered your strategy, and what have become your geographical and operative priority areas of focus since the start of the pandemic?
Qatar Charity has implemented a total of 21,505 development projects since 2019 in 42 countries around the world. The total cost of these projects exceeded QAR558 million. The projects targeted various developmental fields such as education, health, water, and income-generating projects. Regarding the measures and strategies implemented amid the outbreak of COVID-19, Qatar Charity has focused its efforts inside and outside the State of Qatar. Its humanitarian action faced various challenges due to travel restrictions. However, we continued working on strengthening international cooperation and international partnerships with prominent organizations such as UNICEF. Moreover, we focused our work on providing urgent aid to countries in need. Our priority was to curb the pandemic’s spread by providing medical equipment, medicines, sterilizers, and food aid to affected countries.
What is Qatar Charity’s strategy to balance between international and national aid programs, and how can Qatar improve its internal well-being. How will Qatar Charity act in this regard?
In addition to our work within the State of Qatar, we have offices in more than 30 countries that work toward achieving sustainable development. In addition, Qatar Charity has established a designated sector for local development. It is dedicated to implementing various development programs, including cultural, social, and sports programs, that focus on vulnerable community members such as orphans, widows, and workers.
How will digitalization improve the reach and efficiency of your already invaluable work? Can you share with us your partnership strategy in this regard?
Digitalization has dramatically simplified our work. For instance, online donations were made possible thanks to such technological advancement. Now, all the information that donors need can be found on our website. In fact, Qatar Charity’s applications act as an effective link between our organization and our community members. I consider that digitalization has definitely improved our work.
What are your most urgent strategic priorities for the remaining of 2020 and 2021?
The new vision at Qatar Charity strives for a world where societies and people enjoy their right to live in peace and prosperity, as well as securing protection and assistance whenever they face exceptional circumstances during disasters and crises. Qatar Charity strives to realize a world where all individuals, especially children, enjoy their fundamental rights without discrimination and live in dignity. This vision came about three years after the international community adopted the 2030 plan expressed in a number of global initiatives such as the sustainable development goals, the world humanitarian summit outcomes, and the Sendai framework for disaster risk reduction. This strategy reflects our belief that the world needs intensified efforts to face the current development and humanitarian challenges that hinder the development efforts in many countries and threaten their resilience, stability, and security. Qatar Charity is concerned with a set of strategic issues closely related to the fundamental rights of beneficiaries and targeted communities. Our five-year strategic plan will focus on education, food security, climate change, crises and emergency response, social protection system, sustainability, economic empowerment, resilience to disasters and crises, utilizing technology, and improving people’s living conditions and dignified living.
Can you elaborate on your mechanisms for monitoring donations and tracking projects?
Qatar Charity provides donors with unique features for live tracking of their donations around the world through its field offices. Detailed reports, projects status, projects progress timeline—all these features are sent to donors in order to show the impact of their contributions. Through Qatar Charity app, available on PlayStore and AppStore, donors have access to check projects information and much more.