W.B. and Civil Society Organizations launch war against Qat

Six financial grants were awarded  to the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) by the World Bank’s Civil Society Fund, on Tuesday August 10th.

Among the 47 SCOs that participated, The World Bank’s Civil Society Fund awarded six Yemeni Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) financial support for civic engagement in the fight against Qat.
 
With the participation of Yemen’s Social Fund for Development, media, and the World Bank staff in Yemen, the winning NGOs were honored for their innovative ideas in combating the consumption of Qat in Yemen, especially among the youth.
 
David Craig, World Bank Country Director for Egypt, Yemen and Djibouti, welcomed and congratulated the winners and stressed the important role played by NGOs in the development process, especially on issues such as QAT.  “NGOs closeness to the communities allows them to be instrumental in fighting poverty and helping communities to help themselves. The work of the NGOs often complements governmental initiatives because of the reciprocated trust and direct relations with communities and the public at large” he said.
 
The total amount shared among the six winning NGOs was $41,500. The winning ideas ranged from producing advocacy materials such as brochures, sketches, songs, posters, caricature, TV flashes and documentary films, to working with students in schools for awareness-raising as well as training youth on forming anti-Qat groups. Other activities included conducting research, organizing workshops and developing a website.
 
On the side lines of the award ceremony, a session was held to review the plan of activity and the allocated budgets. This exercise was intended to help all winning NGOs coordinate among themselves and avoid any possible duplication.
 
“For NGOs, the modest funding can go a long way in creating an environment that meets communities’ needs for raising awareness among students and youth on the negative aspects of Qat consumption” commented Mohamed Noman, Director for Yemen Center for Human Rights Studies.  
 
“ Working together we can learn and exchange experiences and strengthen any weaknesses we have”, said Elham Abdulwahab, Director for Transparency Center for Research and Studies. This initiative was welcomed by all and an agreement was reached to have regular meetings and develop a comprehensive plan that encompasses the work of the six winning NGOs.

The projects proposed by the winning organizations varied between documentaries to show the health, environment, economic and social effects, and solutions by giving youth alternative choice instead of chewing qat, such as creating websites that publishes the current events in Sana’a.

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