Membership of Social Development Center's Badr programme increases to 390

Furthering its aim to create self-reliant families in Qatar, the Social Development Center (SDC), member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development, continues to support families in Qatar as they strive towards building independent, sustainable livelihoods.

Families enrolled in the Badr (Wa Int Gadr) programme recently participated in a number of important activities such as the Made in Qatar 2013 exhibition, ExxonMobil Open 2013, and Qatar Total Open 2013 for Women. During these events, the families displayed home-made products such as traditional handicrafts, a range of popular cuisines, and women's clothing.

Lulwa Al-Nuaimi, Head of Entrepreneurs Development, SDC, said, "We are excited to welcome each and every member of the new families who have reached out to SDC to be a part of Badr (Wa Int Gadr). To see that more families are seeking support from SDC and enrolling in its development programmes is extremely motivating for us as an organization driven to build strong, independent communities - it indicates that we are on the right track and are successfully providing these families with exactly what they need to have access to more professional opportunities, become self-reliant and improve their standards of living."

"These promising entrepreneurial projects are important as they will not only strengthen and diversify our economy, but will also serve as aspirations and achievements that SDC will always be proud of. Based on this, in future, we look forward to establishing a department at SDC for the development of small projects. We will ensure that regular and comprehensive training is provided to enrolled families and those working on growing small projects," she said.

Last year, SDC launched the Badr brand, giving a new brand identity to the formerly renowned "Modern Family Programme" that was launched in 2000. The term, "Badr", translates into "taking the initiative", while its tag line, "Wa Int Gadr", means "you can".

Following the launch of the new brand, SDC organized an engaging three-day course on the art of perfume making for trainees and home-based entrepreneurs enrolled in the Badr (Wa Int Gadr) programme, amongst other vocational training activities.

The Badr programme offers a suite of services with the aim of supporting both families and individuals fulfill their projects, ensuring that they become self-reliant through a variety of programmes, including financial support systems, training and rehabilitation courses, marketing support, management consultancy, and incubation services, as well as motivational incentives such as nomination for the Reyada Awards for Qatari Entrepreneurs.

The comprehensive programme in 2013 increased to 390 members.

By organizing programmes such as Badr Wa Int Gadr, SDC seeks to further its main objective - promoting the role of the family unit in society, as well as maintaining its social and economic cohesion and stability. It also works actively to train and enable keen individuals to be successful in the career opportunities they choose to pursue.

Members of the Badr programme must be of the minimum legal working age (18 years). They must have promising personal abilities that can be translated into a rewarding and productive project in addition to successfully passing the personal interview ahead of enrolling in the programme.