Calling for Greater Community Participation... Her Highness Shaikha Zain bint Khalid: MKF Studying More Programmes Stemming from Sustainable Human Development Concepts

Manama, 10 February /BNA/ - The Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of AlMabarrah AlKhalifia Foundation (MKF), Her Highness Shaikha Zain bint Khalid Al Khalifa, stated that human development is one of the most important broad lines of MKF's goals, as the foundation seeks to create a society rich in individuals distinguished academically and professionally who work to serve and develop their homeland, through a package of projects aimed at advancing society and making optimal use of talent in a way that prepares a promising generation capable of contributing to nation-building.

In an interview with the Bahrain News Agency (BNA), she said: "We intend to reach out to all segments of society through our social programmes and projects. Among the programmes the foundation is currently studying is cooperation with retirees in training courses, given the wealth of professional, practical and life experience they possess. They are an integral part of our society and have a great deal of energy and expertise, which makes them an ideal choice to run training workshops within the series of training programmes the foundation organises for young people and youths."

Her Highness added that among the most prominent challenges facing MKF's projects are community participation and the financial support that enables the foundation to implement its projects and programmes, particularly those related to scholarships and training courses.

Her Highness Shaikha Zain bint Khalid Al Khalifa called on all bodies and institutions that place community partnership and giving back to our precious Kingdom at the forefront of their priorities to become active partners in advancing young people and youths, who are a fundamental pillar of the future.

She said: "As a foundation concerned with voluntary work, we faced some difficulties at the beginning of our work, but today, after persistent effort, AlMabarrah AlKhalifia Foundation has become known to all parties thanks to the efforts of those working within it, and we now receive financial support at a better level. We look forward to achieving greater accomplishments in the education and training sector through genuine partnership with more bodies that support these goals, especially as they fall within Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030 and enhance the empowerment of young Bahrainis by equipping them with the academic and practical skills and competencies required to place them at the forefront of the choices of business owners and various employers."

On the costs of the programmes implemented by MKF, Her Highness Shaikha Zain bint Khalid noted that the Rayaat Scholarship Program supports 103 students to date, with the cost of a single student in the bachelor's programme at the University of Bahrain and Bahrain Polytechnic estimated at around BD 12,500 over the years of study, including the workshops provided to the student and the monthly incentives.

The cost of a master's student, meanwhile, is estimated at BD 6,000, while the cost of a medical student at the Arabian Gulf University amounts to BD 75,000 for the full years of study.

Renewing her invitation to various bodies, institutions and individuals to learn about MKF's projects and to become partners in its programmes and their outcomes, she affirmed that the programmes offered by the foundation are carefully studied and meet the current needs of society. They were formulated and designed with care following a series of meetings with families and civil society institutions in villages and cities, through which the urgent need for programmes serving young people and youths, linked to education and providing them with various skills, was underlined.

Regarding the programmes offered by the foundation, she explained that MKF has deliberately introduced a variety of programmes to empower young people, strengthen their sense of identity, raise their level of awareness, sharpen their skills, and activate their role and participation in their community in particular and the nation in general.

Among these projects is the "Ithra" programme, organised by AlMabarrah AlKhalifia Foundation for the second consecutive year in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Royal Police Academy. The programme includes multiple working mechanisms such as training workshops, field visits, purposeful camps and community service.

She said: "The Ithra Youth programme, in its second year, is the fruit of cooperation between ministries and government and private institutions, and its continuation is evidence of the great success the programme achieved in its first edition, particularly as the feedback from students' parents was highly complimentary of the distinguished standard it contained and of the way it was delivered and engaged with young people. Through the Ithra Youth programme, AlMabarrah AlKhalifia Foundation aims to promote and instil a system of educational values that help build life skills and community leadership character among young people, in addition to activating community partnership and the assumption of responsibility."

She added: "We are keen to involve the family in our programmes and to open channels of communication with them so that they are fully informed of the course of activities. We also recognise the importance of strengthening the family's role in guiding and shaping youths, especially as the target group of the 'Ithra' programme is aged 13 to 14."

On how the trainers who run the interactive workshops are selected, she indicated that, out of the foundation's keenness on the quality of the material and workshops presented to participants, trainers are qualified through training courses and workshops that better prepare them to perform their roles in the best possible manner.

Some 200 male and female students have been enrolled in the programme, which extends over four years at a cost of around BD 45,000 per year.