Doha, November 22 (QNA) - Qatar Charity announced the organization of sports and recreational activities for orphans sponsored in several countries, coinciding with the international Children's Day and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

The orphans are sponsored through "Rufaqa"initiative of Qatar Charity, which has so far reached more than 190,000 sponsored persons, since its launch about nine years ago.

In the city of Gaziantep, Turkey, Qatar Charity held a celebration in cooperation with the Shahin Bey municipality for the sponsored orphans of both Syrian refugees and children of the local community.

The events included entertainment and sports activities for children and mental intelligence games, in addition to showing a short film on the history of international Childrens Day and children's rights.

The orphans were also introduced to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, A small spherical activity was held using the official football of the World Cup, while at the end of the activities gifts were distributed to the participating children.

These group activities contribute to enhancing the psychological and social health of the sponsored, in addition to increasing their awareness of the concept of social ties, and creating an opportunity for interaction between the Syrian refugees and the Turkish host community.

In the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, the activities organized by Qatar Charity, on the occasion of international Children's Day, witnessed a wide participation of orphans, who are provided with comprehensive care within the "Rufaqa"initiative.

The events included many sports and cultural activities, such as football, cricket, badminton, tug of war and running races, and provided a suitable environment for practicing these activities that enhance the physical health of children. The participating orphan children expressed their happiness with these activities.

It is noteworthy that Qatar Charity launched its pioneering initiative "Rufaqa" in 2014, with the aim of achieving social solidarity and developing integrated care programs that contribute to achieving sustainable social development.

The initiative was keen to establish model cities and multi-service centers for orphaned children and their surrounding communities, each of which includes multiple facilities such as homes, basic and vocational schools, infirmaries, student residences, mosques, workshops, water wells, playgrounds, and others.

The number of pilot projects implemented by the initiative reached 71 qualitative projects, to build, operate and support orphan centers, in addition to 232 multi-service centers that include multiple facilities targeting orphan families with various activities.

(QNA)