Mitsubishi Corporation donates $180,000 to Shafallah Center

LANI ROSE R DIZON

DOHA MITSUBISHI Corporation on Thursday donated $180,000 to the Shafallah Center for Children with Special Needs.

The donation, which is part of Mitsubishi’s 10-year commitment to support Shafallah, will be used for the expansion of the centre’s gymnasium and the installation of new communication devices for the students this year.

The cheque was presented by Mitsubishi Corporation (Doha office) General Manager Kichi Kadawaki and Japanese Ambassador to Qatar HE Kenjiro Monji to Shafallah Center Managing Director Sameera al Qasimi at a formal ceremony.

Speaking during the event, the ambassador said, “Mitsubishi Corporation has been donating $180,000 annually to the Shafallah Center since 2008 and this will continue for the coming five years. The donation has given me a feeling of pride and fulfilment as it will support the children in need at the centre. I hope that it will serve its purpose of helping children with special needs and at the same time contribute to the strengthening of ties between Japan and Qatar.” According to Kadawaki, Mitsubishi Corporation has pledged to donate a total of $1.8 million to Shafallah Center over a period of 10 years. “This is now fifth year of our supporting the centre. We have committed to donate $180,000 each year, for it has always been our strong wish to support Qatar, especially the children with special needs.

Every year, Shafallah and Mitsubishi discuss which specific items or projects are needed by the centre. In 2009, we donated tools to support the children’s communication. In 2010, we helped in the research programme of Shafallah Medical Genetics Center. Our donation in 2011 was used to support the Al Noor Institute for the Blind for speech therapy and sensory items. Last year, we supported the day-care centre by providing it with 16 custommade wheelchairs. And this year, we decided to donate for the renovation of the sports hall and purchase of new communication tools. We sincerely hope that our cooperation will reach the heart of all children at Shafallah Center and help strengthen ties between Qatar and Japan.” According to Qasimi, there are more than 677 students at the Shafallah Center. Majority of them have intellectual disabilities and autism.

During the event, she expressed her gratitude to the Japanese ambassador and Mitsubishi Corporation.

She said, “We believe that Qatar and Japan have always enjoyed friendly relations. We express our gratitude for that.

We also extend our special thanks for the support they give to our children and hope that this relationship will continue.” On his part, Ambassador Monji highlighted the growing relations between Qatar and Japan, as the two countries work together on diversifying their economies beyond energy and industries. He said, “The year 2012 was a living proof of our intentions because we celebrated the 40th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. During the year-long celebrations we organised almost 50 events both in Japan and Qatar. This year, we are concentrating on the economic side, because this is a crucial year for many projects to prepare for the FIFA World Cup 2022. But we hope to organise some events including Ikebana workshop and speech contests either in May or June. Also, we are continuing our book donation to major institutions and universities. I hope the people of Qatar will enjoy Japanese culture just like last year.”

Related Posts

Post a Comment

Subscribe Our Newsletter