The Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) yesterday participated in the reopening ceremony of the Jeronim De Rada School in the municipality of Tirana in Albania, coinciding with the start of the new school year.
Over 1,200 students returned to the school which was destroyed in floods in 2017. Qatar represented by QFFD undertook the rebuilding of the school at a cost of $1.1mn.
The QFFD said in a statement it aimed to provide a high-end and equal educational opportunities in Albania by rebuilding schools with the latest equipment to provide quality education. The QFFD also rebuilt the school’s sports club.
The school was established in 1965 and consisted of three floors with a total area of 2,000sq m.
QFFD’s Director-General Khalifa bin Jassim al-Kuwari and Qatar’s ambassador to Albania Ali bin Hamad al-Marri attended the opening ceremony. In his speech, al-Kuwari said this project will contribute to guaranteeing Tirana children’s right to education.
QFFD also works to rebuild other educational facilities in Albania.
Qatar had previously provided humanitarian aid to Albania through the fund, such as the response to the 2019 earthquake and the novel coronavirus.
Also, the QFFD finances the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Accelerator Labs in Albania which is among 60 laboratories worldwide, to encourage innovative solutions to support sustainable development goals.