Doha, September 10 (QNA) - The Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs (Awqaf), in collaboration with Qatar Charity, has crowned the winners of the first edition of the global orphans branch "Rofaqa", a specialized category of the Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani Holy Quran Competition.

The inaugural edition drew widespread global participation, featuring 389 sponsored orphan contestants aged 12 to 20. Out of these, 278 contestants representing 20 countries advanced to the preliminary rounds, culminating in 30 finalists from eight countries competing in Doha across three main categories.

During the coronation ceremony, Head of the Organizing Committee Jassim Abdullah Al Ali noted that "Rofaqa" uniquely bridges Quranic service with comprehensive humanitarian care, fostering orphans' character and Quranic talents.

Prizes and top honors were awarded across three categories, beginning with the complete Quran memorization division where Abdulgani Abdulqadir Sheikh took first place with a prize of QAR 15,000, followed by his compatriots Abdulrahman Qasim Mohammed in second place with QAR 12,000 and Abdulrahman Ahmed Mahmoud in third place with QAR 10,000. All are from Somalia.

In the 20 parts memorization category, Mohammed Qamaruzzaman from Bangladesh secured first place and QAR 10,000, Humam Mamoun Ziadeh from Syria claimed second place with QAR 8,000, and Mohamadi Gumtebo Nana from Burkina Faso finished third with QAR 7,000. In the 10 parts memorization category, Mohammed Tafsir Amad Jalo from Gambia won first place with QAR 7,000, followed by Najm Al-Thaqib Chowdhury in second place with QAR 5,000 and Rehad Islam Mohammed Zahir in third place with QAR 3,000, both representing Bangladesh.

This initiative aligns with the Ministry of Awqaf's strategic objectives to anchor Islamic values and promote sustainable community impact, supporting the human and social development pillars of Qatar National Vision 2030. (QNA)