Mogadishu, November 24 (QNA) - Qatar Charity, in partnership with Mogadishu University, laid the foundation stone for "Sheikh Eid bin Mohammed Al Thani Center for Vocational Training and Innovation" in Mogadishu. The project aims to empower Somali youth by equipping them with professional and technical skills aligned with labor-market opportunities. The new center will be established within one of the university's facilities.

The foundation-laying ceremony was attended by HE Qatar's Ambassador to Somalia, Dr. Abdullah bin Salem Al Nuaim, Deputy Governor of Banadir Region for Social Affairs, Abdiaziz Mohamed Osman, President of Mogadishu University, Dr. Ibrahim Mohamed Mursal, and Director of Qatar Charity's Somalia Office, Abdifatah Adam Maalim.

Qatar Charity explained in a statement on Monday that the center will span 7,000 square meters and will benefit around 500 young men and women annually. It will include an innovation building, vocational workshops, classrooms, a two-story mosque, and a multipurpose hall for activities and events. The center will offer programs in handicrafts, technical skills, soft skills, and entrepreneurship.

The organization noted that the project is one of its strategic initiatives designed to address the major challenges facing Somali youth, chief among them high unemployment, which local estimates place at around 67 percent. This makes the project a significant and impactful addition in its field.

The project builds on the long-standing strategic partnership between Qatar Charity and Mogadishu University, which began in 1997 with the launch of the "Student Scholarship Program." To date, 3,684 students have benefited from the scholarships, most of whom have gone on to work in the public and private sectors, with some assuming leadership positions, reflecting the sustainable developmental impact of this collaboration. (QNA)