“Ithra” Concludes with 200 Students from 10 Schools Taking Part… Her Highness Shaikha Zain to “Al Bilad”: MKF is the Vision of the Father Khalifa bin Salman and One of His Great Lessons

Badoor Al Malki – Juffair

Her Highness Shaikha Zain bint Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of AlMabarrah AlKhalifia Foundation, affirmed that the results achieved by students through the Foundation’s programmes, including the “Ithra Youth” programme, are the fruit of years of planning, preparation, follow-up and continuous implementation up to the conclusion of the programmes designed for the Foundation’s sons and daughters, each achievement being followed by an evaluation of the finest details of what has been prepared. She noted that this evaluation is grounded in the values of AlMabarrah AlKhalifia, stressing that the “Ithra Youth” programme plays a major role in supporting Bahraini youth and in building a segment of outstanding young people in both the academic and professional fields, by instilling and nurturing leadership values in them and making these a starting point from which the future of both the youth and the nation may advance together.

Her Highness pointed out that, since the launch of its community work, AlMabarrah AlKhalifia has been keen to evaluate all of its programmes in terms of implementation and follow-up through a team of highly qualified Bahraini professionals who continue their efforts to realise the ambition we seek through numerous specialised workshops and courses in every field, in order to acquire the knowledge needed for self-development and for the transfer of experience and concepts away from traditional educational methods, so as to create a generation of aware and distinguished young people who possess all the values that qualify them to take up the responsibility of giving, building and developing, and to contribute to the elevation and progress of the nation.

In statements to “Al Bilad” on the sidelines of her patronage of the closing ceremony of the “Ithra Youth” programme, held at the Isa Cultural Centre at Al Fateh Mosque in Juffair, Her Highness explained that the satisfaction, admiration and praise the Foundation’s programmes have earned – particularly the “Ithra Youth” programme – from the parents of participating students is the finest testimony, since they have followed the development their children achieved through it. At the Foundation, she said, we are keen to follow up on parents’ evaluations and regard them as complementary to the success of our steps and our work, because parents are strategic and important partners in this serious community endeavour.

Her Highness added that the programme was originally designed to run for one year, but was developed to extend over four years out of our desire to reap more of its positive outcomes and to involve a greater number of male and female students, so that the widest possible segment of young people aspiring to entrepreneurship, leadership, teamwork, knowledge and service to the goals of society and the nation may benefit. She indicated that the programme has now been running for two years, and that, according to the evaluation and the students’ responsiveness, expectations were surpassed by the wide turnout we witnessed among students, to the extent that the Ithra programmes have become a second home for them all. We found great and positive engagement from all the students, which prompts us to work on admitting a larger number of students to the programmes in the coming period, alongside efforts to diversify the cultural, academic, community and cognitive content of the programmes offered.

Her Highness Shaikha Zain bint Khalid Al Khalifa extended her deepest thanks and appreciation, on behalf of herself, the Foundation, its members, the students and their families, to His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister and the Father, for his continuous and sustained support in ensuring the success of the Foundation’s programmes and activities. She affirmed that His Royal Highness was the foremost supporter of the launch, establishment and success of the Foundation, explaining that AlMabarrah AlKhalifia is one of His Royal Highness’s visions and directives, and one of the great lessons he has given us all on how to serve the Bahraini people and how to work in order to be close to serving them.

His Royal Highness the Father Khalifa taught us all, through his directives to the Foundation, that serving the Bahraini citizen is a sacred duty and that we must always look to what the citizen looks to and aspires to attain. Her Highness stressed that His Royal Highness the Father and Leader is our role model in shouldering responsibility and in the necessity of fulfilling our duty towards young people in the best possible manner, expressing her profound gratitude to His Royal Highness for this continuous support and affirming that his support is one of the reasons behind the Foundation’s success and the realisation of its ambitions.

Her Highness also expressed her thanks to all the members of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, who are committed to making its programmes an umbrella for promising Bahraini youth, as well as to all those in charge of the programme and to the press and media for their wonderful and appreciated role in highlighting the Foundation’s programmes and activities.

Her Highness Shaikha Zain bint Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa had opened the closing ceremony of the Ithra programme with a tour, accompanied by Board of Trustees members Shaikha Lulwa bint Ahmed Al Khalifa, Shaikha Hala bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, Shaikha Noora bint Hamad Al Khalifa and Shaikha Hind bint Ali, along with those in charge of the programme. Her Highness spoke with the students about the programme, its objectives, their future aspirations and their vision of the programmes they need, which the Foundation will work to implement in order to support students in becoming distinguished leaders and conscious decision-makers who represent a clear asset to their community, while adhering to the values and principles affirmed by our tolerant Islamic faith of tolerance, love, harmony, cooperation and acceptance of others.

The students shared with Her Highness their thoughts and views on their participation in the “Ithra Youth” programme and how it was able to shape in them a personality filled with love, giving and service to others, and to prepare them to be leaders in the future.

Her Highness took part in the dialogue with the students and listened attentively to all their suggestions during her tour of more than 10 stands set up by students representing the Foundation’s programmes and activities.

At the conclusion of her tour, Her Highness expressed her thanks to all the students, commending their success and initiative during their participation in the Ithra programmes. She then honoured the supporters and partners from government and private institutions and centres and from embassies, noting that each of them had played an important role in the success of the Ithra programmes in their second edition, and expressing her thanks to more than 200 students from around 10 government schools and to their families, who deserve credit for reaching this success.

For their part, the Foundation’s students participating in the Ithra Youth programme, together with their families and parents, extended their thanks and appreciation to Her Highness Shaikha Zain bint Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa and the members of AlMabarrah AlKhalifia for the blessed efforts they have made through the Foundation’s programmes, which have had the greatest impact in transforming the personalities of their children into positive and effective individuals who play a role in serving their families and their nation.